Dreaming big was always part of the plan for burgeoning SME Forever and More.
From humble beginnings selling natural soy candles locally in Busselton, Dennis Stojkovic has his sights firmly set on international expansion as demand for his organic hand sanitiser soars.
Stojkovic started Forever and More with his wife Renee in 2017, originally making a range of candles and fragrance diffusers.
But with the onset of COVID-19 last year, he saw an opportunity to add a new product - an all-purpose organic hand sanitiser - to the mix.
“There was nothing in the market that was organic, safe and natural,” he says. “We didn’t just want a hand sanitiser, we wanted an all-purpose sanitiser and that’s why we came up with it.”
With a solid concept and a pandemic providing the market opportunity, the issue was how to scale.
After creating a formula he was happy with, he had it clinically tested for bacteria, with the results showing it was 99.9999 per cent effective.
But after contacting CCIWA’s International Trade and Investment Centre (ITIC) last August, his road to bigger domestic and international markets began.
The COVID-19 factor
ITIC Manager Michael Carter introduced him to chemistry services provider Epichem - a CCIWA Member - who carried out testing that proved the sanitiser also killed COVID-19, SARS, E. coli, staph and gastro.
Meanwhile, ITIC organised non-disclosure, international distribution and IP agreements via law firm DJ Chambers, and connected Stojkovic to distributor Lion Holding International. Both are CCIWA Members.
“We had a call and came into the office and ever since Mike’s jumped on board it’s just gone from strength to strength,” Stojkovic says. “With him reaching out to people and putting me in front of potential clients it’s been go, go, go.”
Growing global market
As of May 2021, and now FDA and EU accredited, Forever and More is progressing international orders in India, the US, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Japan, The Netherlands and the UK.
Domestic clients include the Hyatt, Duxton, Ritz Carlton and Aloft hotels in Perth, as well as a boutique at the Duxton Hotel foyer and further shopfronts coming at the DFO and in Busselton.
With initial production of hand sanitiser slated at 100,000 units a month to just one part of Canada, Stojkovic says he is focusing on expanding local production capacity and tapping into the government, transport, hospitality and health sectors.
“I always dream big,” he says. “I was definitely going for a global business, and this is it.”
ITIC is a TradeStart partner of the Australian Trade Commission in WA, providing clients with a direct link to Austrade’s exporter services and access to an extensive overseas network.
To discover how we can help your business contact the team at ITIC on (08) 9365 7620 or via trade@cciwa.com.
