Sheldon Baker11.26.10
As president and CEO of Chemi Nutra, Scott Hagerman draws on nearly 30 years of relevant experience in both the nutritional supplement industry and food industry. Chemi Nutra was incorporated by Hagerman in January 2001, as a business unit of Chemi S.p.A., Milan, Italy, an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and nutraceutical ingredient manufacturer with worldwide presence. Chemi S.p.A. is a vertically integrated business unit of Italfarmaco S.p.A., Milan, Italy, a pharmaceutical company engaged in the manufacture and sales of finished dosage form pharmaceuticals and OTC products. Chemi Nutra is specifically engaged in the marketing and sales of proprietary, science-based nutritional supplement ingredients, produced in Chemi’s own manufacturing plants located in Italy and Brazil. Hagerman engineered the closing of the Chemi Pharma office in Exton, PA, in October 2004, and the business was subsequently reorganized and relocated to the existing office/warehouse complex in White Bear Lake, MN. Hagerman was then appointed president of Chemi Pharma and assumed the managing duties. Chemi Pharma is engaged in sales and marketing support of Chemi’s APIs and custom synthesized drug actives and intermediates to generic and branded pharmaceutical companies in North and South America.
Health E-Insights: What are you doing to ensure you grow and develop as a leader?
Mr. Hagerman: We continue to invest in outcome-based human research studies as a means of further supporting the marketability of our specialty ingredients. This year we invested in two research studies for our SerinAid PhosphatidylSerine (PS) and for our AlphaSize Alpha-Glyceryl Phosphoryl Choline (A-GPC) ingredient products, and we are finalizing a two year commitment to conduct research at a major university in the U.S. In addition, we continually seek to discover, develop and bring to market new ingredients, which is an expensive and time consuming venture these days. Finally, we invest continually in pursuit of new patent filings with the USPTO, as well as PCT filings. Last year we wrote and submitted a novel patent for PS and anti-aging health, and in November 2010, we plan to submit a new patent application for a newly discovered ingredient compound that is very innovative.
Health E-Insights: What's the newest, freshest approach you are bringing to your company?
Mr. Hagerman: I believe that at this point on the timeline, it is crucial for market leading ingredient companies to invest in research studies that squarely supports the ingredient products sold; in this case, the science must clearly support the health claims for our ingredient compounds, so that finished products are marketed in an honest, science-supported manner. In addition, we try to stay abreast of the newest technologies for information delivery, for example by renewing our website in mobile ready format, and by using QR codes and USB flash drives in our marketing efforts. And lastly, we spend a lot of effort in direct marketing to our customers and prospective customers, which is a bit unusual for a raw material manufacturer and marketer.
Health E-Insights: What would I see if I stood outside the front door of your headquarters at 5 p.m.?
Mr. Hagerman: You would observe the sales team finalizing the major activities of the day, and lining up the most critical duties and travel plans for the next morning, which on many days starts with phone calls and email exchanges with our Chemi S.p.A. colleagues in Italy, which is a seven hour time difference. And after a long office day that normally begins for me between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m., by the end of the day, most of the sales team, myself included, are getting mentally prepared for a serious workout at the nearby Gold's Gym. I need a daily workout of some kind to keep my sanity and to relieve the stresses of the job. And it does keep the doctors away, I do hope.
Health E-Insights: Do you have a favorite sport?
Mr. Hagerman: I do enjoy watching college football and pro basketball. But from a personal activity standpoint, I am currently pretty active in weight lifting and bicycling, and in addition, spend my limited free time in creating metal sculptures in my machine shop and working on motorcycles—sport bikes specifically.
Health E-Insights: If you could be any character in fiction, whom would you be?
Mr. Hagerman: My dear wife Deborah, a writer, introduced me to Lee Child's novels, and I think that I could easily be Jack Reacher, the main character of the book. He is just such a cool minimalist guy, with toughness, intelligence, instinct, and strength to handle every crazy situation he finds himself in. Call me Jack Reacher for sure.
Health E-Insights: Seen any good movies lately?
Mr. Hagerman: Everyone in my family is a huge fan of Denzel Washington and this past weekend we saw his new movie called Unstoppable. It is a must-see, exciting movie that is quite a bit different than most of today's movies.
For more information and interview consideration, contact Sheldon Baker at sbaker@bakerdillon.com or visit his website at www.bakerdillon.com.
