Export key is being quick off the mark

By Shaun Inguanzo
RENOWNED horse feed company Hy Gain Feeds has again galloped to success – this time at the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce’s Premier Regional Business Awards.
The company won the Export Award for its success in penetrating international markets with its range of quality equine feeds.
This year’s win is hot on the heels of last year’s prestigious Regional Exporter Award, which the company won at the 2006 Governor of Victoria Export Awards.
Hy Gain now exports to 15 different countries after starting out in 1983 as a small business operating out of a rented shed in Brighton Road, Dandenong.
Now based in Officer, Hy Gain has learned in 23 years of business to seize upon any opportunity at the earliest moment.
This philosophy has helped Hy Gain grow from being a family business to a highly recognised feed company with over 30 staff.
Director Leigh Manley said that after last year’s Regional Exporter Award win that success within the export market involved quick decision-making.
“It began with a simple inquiry from a firm in South East Asia, we went across and spoke to them and a month later we got an order,” he said.
“From small beginnings, it grew by word of mouth. My son and I look after the export market and it takes a lot of work, you have to go and visit your clients, you have to be there and be seen.”
Hy Gain has also gained a strong reputation for its leading-edge nutrition.
A team of nutritionists and technical staff design recipes that cater for all different types of horses, from racing through to equestrian.
The company’s labels have a reputation for fulfilling their promises of nutrition and care for horses. But Hy Gain’s multi-million dollar turnover is the result of more than just a good product.
The business prides itself on its relationships with suppliers, customers and staff – all important stakeholders in Hy Gain’s success.
Not only do the company’s raw materials need to be top quality, but staff must be specialised so that customers will return.
A testament to the company’s ability to balance relationships is the fact that last year’s Melbourne Cup duo Pop Rock and Delta Blues, both Japanese horses, munched on Hy Gain feed before running first and second in the nation’s biggest race.
Hy Gain by name, and by reputation, it seems.