Sweetener-player Layn sets up team to support rapid LatAm expansion
The company also announced that Mary Joe Fernandez was appointed vice president of sales for the Americas and global accounts.
“I am excited to join Layn at this pivotal time in the sweetener space,” said Fernandez. “Sugar reduction and natural alternatives are driving significant demand, and I am pleased to work with the team to expand awareness of Layn’s position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of advanced sweetener technology and custom solutions.”
According to Mintel, Latin America accounted for 17% of global food and beverage product launches featuring stevia in 2017.
The region’s rapid growth is expected to continue in part due to stringent taxation policies in certain countries, and increased demand for sugar alternatives.
The expansion in Latin America allows Layn to have multiple stevia harvests each year, and maintain a fresh supply of the natural sweetener, said the company in a press release. Layn has a stevia cultivation base in Guatemala.
“We are pleased to welcome Ms. Fernandez to help lead sales efforts as we continue to grow our team in Latin America and build our global presence,” said Frank Yongfu Xie, executive VP of Layn Corp. “She has deep industry experience, and the knowledge and expertise needed to expand awareness and sales of our ingredients, particularly in Latin America and other regions where we are seeing explosive growth.”
