What QualiTech does

QualiTech, LLC is a privately held, Chaska, Minnesota-based B2B ingredient manufacturer founded in 1967, organized into three operating divisions: Animal Nutrition (protected trace minerals, rumen-protected nutrients, and palatability systems for livestock and pet species), Food Solutions (particulates, inclusions, and flavor/texture systems for bakery, snacks, dairy, bars, cereal, confectionery, and frozen food manufacturers), and Agronomy (conventional and organic specialty crop fertilizers). Its core technology is a proprietary polysaccharide complexation platform marketed as PolyTransport, which protects trace minerals and nutrients through the digestive tract or plant cuticle until the point of absorption, with documented bioavailability advantages such as 47% rumen bypass for BOVI-LYSINE and roughly 8x bloodstream niacin delivery for ANEVIS compared to unprotected inputs.

The company sells through direct B2B channels: dedicated regional sales managers and key/national account managers in Animal Nutrition and Food Solutions, technical services consultants, and a Latin America business development function, supported by sample distribution, custom lab formulation, and downloadable technical resources. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with multi-year contractual billing on custom blends spanning individual dose pouches to fifty-pound bags and totes. The company is backed by private equity sponsor MidOcean Partners and in August 2024 completed the acquisition of Ellison Bakery, a cookies, snack bars, crunches, toppings, and inclusion ingredients manufacturer that extends its Food Solutions footprint into bakery. In Agronomy, QualiTech supplements its QMIN conventional and Q-Bio organic fertilizer lines (CDFA- and WSDA-registered for organic production) with Qortex, an agronomy decision support software platform. Headcount is 51-100 employees and no revenue figure is publicly disclosed.

Name

QualiTech

Legal name

QualiTech, LLC

Website

https://qualitechco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

QualiTech is a privately held, PE-backed B2B ingredient manufacturer operating three divisions (Animal Nutrition, Food Solutions, Agronomy) that sells proprietary polysaccharide-complexed trace minerals, food inclusions, and specialty crop fertilizers to livestock producers, food manufacturers, and crop growers across North America and Latin America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Nutrition and Food Ingredient Manufacturing

NAICS

Animal Food Manufacturing (3111), Food Manufacturing (311), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Carrier Systems & Microencapsulated Additive Premixes (Protected Nutrients, Slow-Release) (AFADAGAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Additive & Premix Integration Services (enzymes, probiotics, minerals/vitamins, medication where permitted) (AFADAMAF), Non-Antibiotic Health & Performance Supplements (Immune, Gut Health, Stress/Heat Support) (AFADALAO), Bio-based Food & Flavor Ingredients (Non-fuel Co-products: sweeteners, organic acids, flavors) (EUAAAIAJ)

Keywords

• Animal nutrition ingredients
• Food inclusions particulates
• Specialty crop fertilizers
• Trace minerals premixes
• Plant nutrition products

Headquarters

HQ city

Chaska

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Animal Nutrition Products: Sale of trace minerals, rumen-protected nutrients, vitamins, and flavor systems to livestock and pet industries worldwide. Products include SQM protected minerals, Feedbuds flavor systems, and precision micronutrients.
2. Food Solutions Ingredients: Sale of food ingredient inclusions and particulates to food manufacturers for bakery, snacks, frozen foods, dairy, nutritional bars, cereal, and confectionery applications. Products include Flavor-ettes, Pell-ettes, Season-ettes, and other specialized ingredients.
3. Agronomy Fertilizers: Sale of plant nutrition products including QMIN conventional fertilizers and Q-Bio organic fertilizers for specialty crop production. Products address micronutrient deficiencies in fruits, vegetables, and nut trees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

QualiTech is a privately held manufacturer of specialized ingredients and nutrients organized into three divisions: Animal Nutrition (SQM protected trace minerals, Feedbuds flavor systems, rumen-protected precision micronutrients, and custom-blended premixes for livestock species), Food Solutions (flavor/color/texture inclusions and particulates such as Flavor-ettes, Pell-ettes, Season-ettes, Flavor-Lites, Encapsulation, Flav-R-Grains, and Sup-R-Grains for food manufacturers), and Agronomy (QMIN conventional and Q-Bio organic fertilizers, plus the Qortex decision-support platform for specialty crop producers). All three divisions are built on the company's proprietary polysaccharide complexation technology (PolyTransport) that improves nutrient bioavailability.

Product overview

QualiTech is a privately held manufacturer offering three interconnected divisions: Animal Nutrition, Food Solutions, and Agronomy. The Animal Nutrition division centers on SQM® trace minerals (Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc) and custom blended premixes (SQM 4 Beef, SQM 4 Swine, SQM 4 Dairy, SQM Repro-4-Mins, SQM 4 S/R, SQM 4 Equine), enhanced by Feedbuds® flavor systems, BioEdge®, and precision micronutrients including BOVI-LYSINE™ and ANEVIS® rumen-protected niacin. The Food Solutions division provides particulated inclusions for the food industry including Flavor-ettes™, Pell-ettes™, Season-ettes®, Flavor-Lites™, Encapsulation™, Flav-R-Grains®, and Sup-R-Grains™. The Agronomy division offers QMIN® conventional fertilizers and Q-Bio® organic fertilizers (registered by CDFA and WSDA) for specialty crops, supported by the Qortex agronomy decision support platform. All divisions leverage QualiTech's proprietary polysaccharide complexation technology (PolyTransport™) for enhanced nutrient delivery and bioavailability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SQM: SQM protected trace minerals with PolyTransport technology for animal nutrition. Provides trace minerals including Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, and Zinc.
• Feedbuds
• BioEdge
• PolyTransport
• BOVI-LYSINE
• ANEVIS
• Bovi-C
• Flavor-ettes
• Pell-ettes
• Season-ettes
• Flavor-Lites
• Encapsulation
• Flav-R-Grains
• Sup-R-Grains
• QMIN
• Q-Bio

Products and services

• SQM Trace Minerals Protected organic trace mineral supplements (Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Zinc) that preserve mineral integrity through the digestive tract until optimal absorption. Sold to livestock producers and feed manufacturers.
• SQM Custom-Blended Premixes Custom-blended standard mineral premixes containing polysaccharide complexes of zinc, manganese, iron, copper, and/or cobalt, formulated by species (beef, swine, dairy, equine, shipping/receiving, reproduction) for feed manufacturers and livestock operations.
• Feedbuds Flavor Systems Science-based flavor and sensory appeal solutions for animal feeds, including powdered and liquid forms with long-lasting flavor and aroma characteristics, plus the Feedbuds Garlic sub-line. Sold to feed manufacturers and livestock producers to improve feed intake.
• BioEdge Flavor-based feed additive combining fennel and garlic marketed to defend cattle from flies, ticks, lice, worms, and heat stress. Sold to cattle producers and feed manufacturers.
• Precision Rumen-Protected Micronutrients Rumen-protected nutrients delivered to the small intestine using complex lipid matrix technology, including BOVI-LYSINE (rumen-protected lysine), ANEVIS (rumen-protected niacin), and Bovi-C (rumen-protected vitamin C) for dairy cattle and calf-receiving programs.
• Flavor-ettes Free-flowing granules providing point of color, flavor, and texture in food products, available in sweet and non-sweet varieties. Sold to food manufacturers across bakery, snacks, frozen, dairy, nutritional bars, cereal, and confectionery applications.
• Pell-ettes Free-flowing cylindrical-shaped particulates delivering concentrated burst of flavor, color, and texture in baked goods and other food applications. Sold to food manufacturers.
• Season-ettes Small free-flowing colored particulates resembling herbs or spices that add visual appeal without contributing flavor or heat, used in snacks and cereals. Sold to food manufacturers.
• Flavor-Lites Crispy, round, free-flowing particulates providing color, flavor, and crunchy texture as a cost-effective alternative to traditional sprinkles in baked goods and snacks. Sold to food manufacturers.
• Encapsulation Small free-flowing fat-coated sugar or salt granules that are bake and freeze/thaw stable, for baked goods, snacks, and cereal applications. Sold to food manufacturers.
• Flav-R-Grains Toasted stabilized corn germ enhancing the appearance of multigrain products with roasted corn or nut flavor and aroma. Sold to food manufacturers of baked goods and cereals.
• Sup-R-Grains Free-flowing ancient grain-based particulates providing color, flavor, or texture with functional ingredient delivery for nutritional bars, baked goods, and confections. Sold to food manufacturers.
• QMIN Conventional Fertilizers Complete lineup of conventional fertilizers (boron, calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc, nitrogen, potassium, and multi-nutrient blends such as CitriBoost, HeptaBoost, Zn-Fe-Mn, Zn-Mn, OptiBoost, K-Gain, and N-Gain) using polysaccharide complexation for foliar and soil application on specialty crops. Sold to specialty crop producers.
• Q-Bio Organic Fertilizers Complete lineup of organic fertilizers (calcium, potassium, boron, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, nitrogen, zinc, and multi-nutrient blends such as Zn-Fe-Mn and HeptaBoost) registered by CDFA and WSDA, using polysaccharide technology for organic crop production. Sold to organic specialty crop producers.
• Qortex Agronomy Decision Software Agronomy decision software engine providing agronomic decision support for specialty crop nutrition. Sold to specialty crop producers and agronomy professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• SQM Iron more than doubled serum ferritin levels in sows during gestation
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ellison BakerycoreOthers · 22 August 2024Ellison Bakery is a manufacturer of cookies, snack bars, crunches, toppings, and inclusion ingredients that was acquired by QualiTech in August 2024. This acquisition expands QualiTech's presence in the bakery sector and complements its existing Food Solutions division.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kemin Industries: Privately held ingredient manufacturer serving animal nutrition, pet food, human food, and crop science markets. Kemin directly competes with QualiTech's Animal Nutrition (palatability, feed additives) and Food Solutions (functional food ingredients) divisions.
• Zinpro (PMI Nutrition): Leading manufacturer of performance trace minerals and animal nutrition ingredients. Zinpro is the most direct competitor to QualiTech's SQM/PolyTransport trace mineral line and rumen-protected nutrient products.
• Novus International: Animal nutrition and health company producing feed additives, amino acids, and trace minerals for livestock and poultry. Overlaps directly with QualiTech's precision micronutrients and feed additive portfolio.
• Alltech: Global animal nutrition company offering feed supplements, premixes, and crop science solutions. Direct overlap with both QualiTech's Animal Nutrition and Agronomy (crop/soil health) divisions.
• Adisseo (Bluestar): Specialty feed additives manufacturer focused on methionine, vitamins, and protected nutrients for animal nutrition. Competes with QualiTech's rumen-protected nutrients and trace mineral premix lines.
• Balchem: Specialty ingredient manufacturer with animal nutrition and health, human food, and industrial segments. Balchem's encapsulated and protected nutrients directly compete with QualiTech's BOVI-LYSINE and ANEVIS products.

Broad incumbents

• Phibro Animal Health: Publicly traded diversified animal health and nutrition company. Broad incumbent serving livestock producers with nutritional specialty products, vaccines, and mineral nutrition — overlapping with QualiTech's Animal Nutrition portfolio at a much larger scale.

Others

• Pancosma (part of ADM): ADM-owned feed additive brand offering palatants, organic trace minerals, and specialized feed ingredients. Pancosma's trace mineral and palatant lines directly overlap with QualiTech's SQM and Feedbuds offerings, distributed through ADM's global footprint.

Emerging players

• T. Hasegawa USA: Specialty flavor and ingredient company serving food and beverage manufacturers. Overlaps with QualiTech's Food Solutions division on savory, sweet, and encapsulated flavor systems for bakery, snack, and cereal applications.

Regional players

• Compass Minerals: Producer of specialty plant nutrition and sulfate of potash fertilizers for specialty crops. Adjacent peer to QualiTech's Agronomy division (QMIN, Q-Bio) in the specialty crop micronutrient market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about QualiTech