Strapping on global success

Warwick Lightbourne has developed his products on patient needs. Picture / Martin Sykes

Warwick Lightbourne's got his market strapped up - older folk need his products to stay active while younger people need them because they've been too active.

And with his thermal body support straps and herbal relief cream for muscle and joints now selling around the world, he's an example of what a small player can achieve by teaming up with a big distributor.

An injury consultant of 23 years, Lightbourne has developed the products in response to patients he sees through his Cornwall Injury Clinic in Greenlane, Auckland.

Starting with the knee support in 1999, he was not thinking about launching a range initially.

But now the Thermastrap brand has 23 different straps for almost every body part.

Having the Warriors contract at the clinic helped him develop straps for areas where there was no support, such as biceps, the achilles tendon and the groin.

The thermal Fabron material increases bloodflow to the joint area, providing cushioning and warmth.

Daily athlete contact has also driven the more innovative features, such as the perforated area for the hotter Australian climate, and the latest knee support with front-spring stabilisers as well as those on the side.

Lightbourne also created the ice-wrap to replace ice in a towel.

"We're not a me-too brand. We've gone out and done it differently," he said.

Lightbourne also sells Percutane herbal cream, a high-strength arnica that works up to 24 hours, which he developed for patients.

Inquiries soon came from pharmacies, inspiring Lightbourne to put some sales reps on the road and, within 18 months, the products were stocked in just under half the nation's pharmacies.

Douglas Pharmaceuticals approached him in 2003, suggesting a licensing agreement for New Zealand and Australia.

Lightbourne said that arrangement and being able to hook into a large company with market expertise and a network of sales reps here and across the Tasman was the basis of the company's success.

"It's worked really well. Douglas handles all the marketing and has advertised on TV, which we would not have been able to afford."

It also freed him up to focus on product development and to explore bigger export markets such as Europe.

This time, he had to seek out a distributor and guidance from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) proved to be invaluable.

As a result, Clinical has licensed Life Plan for the UK and Europe. Since signing with Douglas, the company has received $20,000 in grants from NZTE to register trademarks in overseas markets.

Attending big European expos such as the natural health product and the pharmacy shows was also crucial.

"You've got to front up at those shows and be seen to be taking it to the market because they won't come to you."

Lightbourne has been proactive in other ways, walking the streets of central London to hand out sachets.

The early ground work has paid off with the products stocked in Harrod's, Tescos and Holland & Barrett - the biggest health food chain in Europe, with 800 stores.

More than 150,000 pots of Percutane and 200,000 straps are produced annually, with turnover from the latter exceeding $1.5 million.

Combined, the Australasian market takes 55 per cent of sales, with the market evenly split between athletes and those with degenerative conditions such as arthritis.

The rest is sold to Europe, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Pakistan.

Lightbourne said manufacturing in Asia had been necessary to stay competitive.

Although he once had company offices and a boardroom, such a "dead money" enterprise has been ditched in an effort to reduce overheads. He now works from his clinic while five staff work at a storage warehouse. Lightbourne, a keen runner who won the Sydney Marathon in 1981, said the business evolved from a genuine interest in creating something to help people.

He sees the market growing as the baby boomer population ages and as the professionalisation of sport sees the intensity of training increase.


What it takes

* Market research - find out who the competition is.
* Establish particular selling point and advantages.
* Target an established distributor with a good record.
* Take advisers.