They never go unnoticed in the gym halls, it’s not necessarily the size of these people that strikes an onlooker but rather the fitness they exhume. But supplementing these bodies is always up for debate. I remember my younger days of using creatine and grape juice, the next ‘big thing’ – how times have changed. Shopping aisles are packed to the rafters with this name and that, all offering you a ticket to a more productive gym session with better results. One of those brands is Ultimate Sports Nutrition. – Stuart Lowman
Albe Geldenhuys is the founder and CEO of Ultimate Sports Nutrition (USN), a leading brand in the sports nutrition and supplements industry. Through in-depth understanding of the sports and nutrition industry at large, a clear and focussed business model, as well as an incredible drive to achieve success, Geldenhuys steered USN to one of the renowned and celebrated home-grown brands – with an impressive global footprint.
In less than 20 years, Geldenhuys’ business acumen and passion for the USN brand has seen the company penetrate competitive markets including South Africa, Europe, Australia, the United States of America, and South America.
Geldenhuys started the company from his home in Pretoria, South Africa, after identifying a gap in the market where he deemed existing products either low quality or too expensive. After undertaking thorough market and product research, Geldenhuys began creating and mixing his own supplements with the assistance of his then girlfriend (now wife). By 2015, Geldenhuys has grown USN into a R1 billion-strong global business.
The sports nutrition and supplements industry has traditionally been associated with bodybuilding and competitive athletics; however, USN has successfully contributed to changing this perception. Through various campaigns and activities, as well as carefully researched and tailormade products to suit the needs of specific markets, Geldenhuys has incorporated supplementation products into a daily routine and made it a more appealing and sensible route for anyone wanting to live a healthy lifestyle.
Geldenhuys credits his background in sales as playing a vital role in him being able to grow his business drastically in its first few years. For example, one of the cornerstones to the business’ early growth was Geldenhuys’ ability to leverage his existing connections, built during his previous tenure working at the Hatfield Health & Racquet Club. The strong and positive partnerships Geldenhuys built between USN and Chempure, a South-African company that imports and markets specialty chemicals to the food, health-food and pharmaceutical industries, has also been a significant factor in the development of USN products, which has contributed to the brand’s success.
Apart from heading up USN, Geldenhuys is also an avid extreme sportsman, participating in and sponsoring various sporting events and persons under the USN banner. As he truly lives to the brand promise of USN, Geldenhuys has always been the ultimate ambassador for USN, and has acquired insight to his customers’ needs and what is expected from a sports product experience. Geldenhuys’ belief in taking risks where needed also contributed to the success of both his personal sporting endeavours and his business.
