Peter Holocher is the business development director of IFP, Inc., Faribault, MN. His focus is on the development of trend‐forward powder product concepts, turnkey commercialization services for major consumer packaged goods companies and industry partnerships to drive advancements in the functional beverage and nutrition industry. Peter’s 20 years of commercialization experience includes ingredient brand start-up, product design and international business development combined with powder technology expertise. He is married to Audrey, and they live with their two dogs Bessie (stubborn bulldog) and Bopper (feisty rat terrier).
I met Peter at the Vitafoods show in Geneva, Switzerland, and chatted with him over a great cup of Swiss coffee.
Health E-Insights: IFP offers trend-forward powder product concepts. Please explain.
Mr. Holocher: Trend-forward powder concepts provide clients with a tangible product to start the commercial process. By integrating high-end powder technology, novel ingredient systems and unique packaging formats, a commercially feasible product with clear messaging and scientifically viable benefits can be launched within six to nine months.
Health E-Insights: What are the main services your company offers?
Mr. Holocher: IFP is best known for fluid bed batch agglomeration, a process that optimizes the dispersion and dissolution of powders when mixed with liquids. We also own a patented encapsulation technology that allows you to mask undesirable flavor notes, protect less stable ingredients and coat particles to stabilize formulations. In addition, we offer packaging solutions that include stick packs, jugs and canisters. We are truly a turnkey operation along the entire commercial spectrum—concept design, formulation, pilot-plant, powder manufacturing and packaging—to deliver a retail-ready finished product.
Health E-Insights: What's the newest or freshest approach you are bringing to your company?
Mr. Holocher: I really love the field I am in. This gives me a lot of energy to meet potential partners and collaboratively develop unique business building strategies tailored for specific outcomes. Explore as you go…it’s a process of discovery. I develop strategies for the introduction of existing products and services and new products and services to new and to existing markets. I employ a multi-disciplinary approach to implement those strategies and grow the business utilizing resources within the organization and partners and ventures with external resources.
Health E-Insights: What area of innovation do you see our industry adopting in the next five years?
Mr. Holocher: Open innovation is here to stay and grow significantly in our industry. This model asks individuals to look outside of their companies for ideas and intellectual property to design experiments and strategies in search of new revenue sources.
Health E-Insights: How do you evaluate success?
Mr. Holocher: The late UCLA coach John Wooden’s definition has been a driving force in my career. Wooden once said: “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”