FAMILY MATTERS: THE WALTONS
Voya has recently been added to the shortlist for the Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year Programme
stocks: “With around 30 millions tonnes of biomass, supplies will never run out.” T at said, in line with its high ecologi-
cal values, Voya has been instrumental in pioneering a sustainable harvesting method that has now passed into European law. “Sea- weed has no roots – if you cut the plant you kill it – but there’s a very fi ne line. If you take 60 per cent of the plant it takes two years to grow back, whereas if you take 40 per cent it re-grows in six to eight months. We’ve pio- neered this way of harvesting,” he says. But he stresses that Voya will never be devel-
oped into a big brand. “Seaweed is diffi cult and expensive to harvest and there are scale issues. We’re never going to be the next mass con- sumer brand – nor would we want to be.” T e couple are focused on developing ties
with leading spas around the world – and spend a lot of time travelling to current and prospective clients. Mark says: “We’ve dou- bled our turnover in four years, although we’ve not been aggressively attacking the mar- ket – we’ve mostly grown by reputation.” Kira adds: “A lot of companies more aware
of eco issues and the importance for their company to embrace them. T ey like the fact
Voya’s eco-culture
All Voya products are certifi ed organic by the Soil Association and the USDA. Products must contain a minimum of 70 per cent organic ingre- dients – excluding water which is non-organic – and exclude parabens, animal derivatives and GM ingredients. Prod- ucts are a blend of wild seaweed and other nat- ural ingredients such as shea butter, bees wax, Dead Sea salt, aloe vera and essential oils.
T e method of har-
vest must also comply to strict standards, to preserve the delicate eco- systems and corals where the seaweed grows. Voya packaging is
biodegradable and recy- clable wherever possible, and the manufacturing process uses sustainable wind energy in Strandhill. Mark Walton’s father
was a founding mem- ber of T e Organic Trust in Ireland, and Mark is continuing the fami-
ly’s eco-traditions. He is responsible for draſt ing the EU organic standards, and sits on the expert panel on organic stand- ards for the European Commission and the International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (an umbrella organisation for diff erent organic bodies). Voya is also a mem-
ber of ECOPACT, which aims to support the sus- tainable development of seaweed products.
that the product is harvested by hand and that we’re a family business. I got an email enquiry the other day with someone saying
‘I really like your story’ – but the thing is, it’s not a story, it’s a genuine environment and family culture – not a marketing ploy!” A by-product of their frequent travels is
that the pair fi nd inspiration for the devel- opment of new Voya treatments. Kira says:
“On a recent trip to Istanbul we were inspired by a hammam experience and wanted to cre- ated something similar. Where they used
diff erent soaps and large cotton bags, we’ve used a large fronded seaweed like a mophead and an organic seaweed body wash.”
ORGANIC GROWTH
So what does the future hold for Voya? In spite of wanting to grow ‘organically’, inter- national business seems to be continuing at a roaring pace. And Voya’s success has recently been recognised by the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Programme, with the couple being nominated along with eight other leading Irish enterprises for the prestigious ‘emerging business’ title. Mark says: “We’re growing rapidly in the
Far East, which already has an association with seaweed and bathing traditions. North America is going to be increasingly important for us – it’s light years ahead in terms of the level of some of the spa and beauty facilities. “In terms of spa retailing, North America
and the Middle East are good at selling prod- ucts, whereas in Ireland, the UK and Europe, we have to work harder at that. In some spas, for example, we may have 60 per cent retail to trade value, while others may only have a 20 per cent retail to trade value.” T e pair have also just signed a number of
There’s no other plant like seaweed, it has an 85 per cent mineral content making it very effi cacious 80 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
distribution agreements in the Middle East and North America, and “have some won- derful new partners coming on board” to help establish its presence even further on the global scene. ●
SPA BUSINESS 3 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012
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