Executive Interview
Executive Interviews
An Interview with
Alex Longman
Innert Pte Ltd
CEO
Innert was formed quite recently after previously operating under a cottage industry umbrella as we built up the product. Having been manufacturing winesave for a period of time we soon realised there was a need for a more broader scope to our Argon gas offering. Argon gas being a noble gas and inert we decided to Name the company after the gas we use. Innert Pte ltd was formed. Innert now manufactures argon gas solutions for trade and retail uses for protecting Wine's, Spirit's, Whisky's and Produce and extending shelf life and reducing food and drink waste.
Publish Date:
14 May 2020
Singapore
Location:
Tell us about your background, and how you came to found your company?
I was originally born in England and moved out to Singapore in 1998 in a banking and finance role. During my time in Asia I was lucky enough to live and work in Tokyo Japan, Hong Kong and of course Singapore. With the added benefit of some extensive travel. During my banking days I put my hand to opening and managing a number of bar's, bistro's and restaurants in various countries and learning in a very hands on approach to building and running businesses. This lead me to having a natural interest in Food and Drinks. Having built numerous key relationships over the years and in various countries the opportunity arose for me to join and later buy out (into retirement) a small manufacturing business for specifically keeping opened wine from going bad with oxidisation.
What is most important to you and your organization – mission, vision, or core values? Why?
We are still a small operation managing everything ourselves for now. This of course is not an ideal platform but as some of the products are still new or in prototype phase it is key for us to make our mistakes learn from them to build a better and stronger framework as we develop and grow.
Our mission is to deliver a premium argon gas product to our customers.
Our vision is by fare the most important part of our business which is to grow and expand globally expanding our footprint to various key countries that will benefit from the products the most.
Our core values are to be transparent, allow access to both partners and be at the forefront of the company. We are not believers of hiding behind a brand.
All of these are very important and change and develop with time and as the business grows but the overall driver is to be honest, open and approachable.
Can you explain briefly how your service(s)/product(s) works?
Our products at Innert are all 100% Natural argon gas delivery systems. We are breathing argon in the air around us. The excellent properties of argon gas are its weight 1.5 times heavier than oxygen. A single molecule meaning it will not mix with anything. We pressurise cans with argon gas into an easy to use handheld canister. With a 1 second release on the value will deliver enough argon gas to create the perfect natural barrier to oxygen. Being heavier it will settle onto the surface of the wine, whisky, sake or fill a container with berries or strawberries eliminating the chance of oxidisation of the product you are protecting
How to Winesave video
How has the industry been changing in recent years?
Let us focus on the wine industry. There is the ever changing generations. The older generation and I get told this in nearly every pitch I have with potential customers will always say well I never leave a bottle. I will always finish the bottle. Then I get told from the bars and restaurants its ok we turn the wine over every 3 to 4 days if not we use it for cooking or simply pour it away. The singles and the younger generations don't always want the whole bottle. Maybe one glass an evening maybe a glass of white when they get home and a glass of red with dinner. Being able to have the choice. The industry is evolving to cater for these changes. More half bottle wines are being offered now. Systems like ours and our competition are giving people options. As we start to discuss our products it suddenly clicks to them that with just cents on the dollar can save that 1 last glass reducing the wastage being poured away, the reputational risk serving it and increased revenue for a bar or saving for a home drinker.
What makes you different from what’s currently available in the market?
Competition is always great no matter how you look at it. Competition creates a market place. Somewhere a customer can choose. It might not always be your product, it might not always be theirs. Something we think we have managed to capture is simplicity, effectiveness and affordability.
There will always be the Ferrari version which comes at an equally matched price. There will always be the very basic just about does what it needs to version. We like to put ourselves in the range of your M Sport BMW. We may not look the shiny red all singing and dancing version. But our precision, engineering and top speed effectiveness will match.
What does the future hold for your company?
The future of Innert hopefully is growth, growth and more growth. In the world we live in now there are many strong but moving dynamics from alcohol consumption to waste control. We certainly see ourselves fitting in with the ever demanding requirements for waste reduction especially food waste and the changing population wanting quality over quantity. We very much hope we are on the right track with the right tools to deliver our best.