Zhucheng Haotian Pharma (ZCHT), maker of SoPure, a commercial brand of natural stevia, and a manufacturer of inositol – has announced it will now be operating as HOWTIAN.
The new brand name and corporate identity reflects the substantial growth and evolution of the business since its inception in 1999. It began as a small manufacturer of inositol, a versatile health ingredient that belongs to the vitamin B family and that is commonly used in human and animal nutrition for its variety of benefits. Today, the business is one of the world’s largest naturally processed stevia companies, with over 1,000 employees operating in 80 countries and with customers across the food, beverage, nutrition, and pharmaceutical industries.
“Having expanded into new markets with our expertise in innovative ingredient solutions and product formulation, we wanted this new brand name – which pays homage to our original name – to represent our diversified product portfolio and to consolidate our operational capabilities into one entity,” said Tom Fuzer, vice-president of HOWTIAN. “We’re excited to launch this new chapter and we are looking forward to innovating more and accelerating our growth internationally.”
The HOWTIAN identity also represents a renewal of its mission to sustainably produce and supply premium natural ingredients at virtually any scale for business around the globe. The new corporate logo consists of three leaves in the shape of an “H” in green and yellow, representing HOWTIAN’s flourishing, naturally farmed crops. Its design signifies the company’s commitment to natural products, ethical farming, and sustainability.
“To support farming communities and promote environmental stewardship, we employ the favourable contract farming model,” added Fuzer. “This model ensures fair wages while preserving natural resources. It includes initiatives to achieve zero waste, optimal usage of byproducts, and minimal energy usage.”
Along with the new logo is a new website that details the company’s portfolio of ingredients and services, as well as its mission and history.
In recent years, the business had made significant investments in building broader, end-to-end solutions and services. Its Technical and Application Groups provide customised formulation support for customers in the food, beverage and nutritional sectors, as well as pre-mixing and blending services. Trained sensory teams are also available to support product testing. In-house regulatory teams provide guidance on meeting compliance requirements around the world.
In little more than two decades since its founding, the company has undergone rapid growth. In 2012, SoPure Stevia was launched, and on its way to becoming the largest stevia manufacturing operation in the world today, as well as one of the world’s top seven sweetener businesses. The company has continued to develop a number of other ingredients as additions to its portfolio of inositol and stevia, including functional ingredients such as PureQQ Pyrroloquinoline Quinone, baicalin, and vitamin E powder.
