Lady standing in front of baby formula

Dandenong-based Bubs Australia attributes growth success to its location (Talking Business Article September 2022)

Lady standing in front of baby formula

Baby formula maker Bubs Australia has shipped 27.5 million bottles of formula since May to meet the United States’ shortage. Current Chief Executive, Kristy Carr, started Bubs Australia 17 years ago, concerned about good nutrition for her three bubs at the time.

The business launched from her kitchen with Australia’s first range of organic pouch baby food to be sold in supermarkets. Since moving to Dandenong in 2019, the business has scaled up to produce 30,000 cans of additive-free baby formula a day. 

Chief Operating Officer, Richard Paine, said the unexpected opportunity from the US Government’s Fly Formula programme put Bubs Australia back on a growth trajectory after the supply-chain challenges COVID posed. “Being a smaller company with a lean management structure, we were able to respond quickly and became one of the first to lodge our request for enforcement discretion with the FDA [Food and Drug Administration] and get approval,” Mr Paine said. “And being in Dandenong, which is extremely well connected and an engine house for manufacturing in Victoria, we’re able to get our shipment on trucks and to the airport quickly.”

Mr Paine said although the company’s recent success in the US market had solidified its pathway into the market, China and its domestic Australian markets remained a priority also. “New product development has always been something we’ve remained dedicated to, and we’re constantly finding ways to improve. We’re really proud of what we’ve been able to achieve from modest beginnings.”

To learn more visit website www.bubsaustralia.com/

To read more stories like this read the latest Talking Business September 2022.