North Shore Newspaper - In Good Health - Sunday September 29, 2002

Cookies for the competitor
Family recipe powers company - Julie MacLellan

C, as Cookie Monster always told us, if for cookie. In the case of Activ8 Natural Protein and Fruit Boost, add in counting calories (123), carbohydrates (16.3g), conditioning, cutting cholesterol, and caring for your community. Oh yes, and don't forget cranberry.

Activ8 is a new "super-cookie" produced by ProSnack, a family company based in West Vancouver.
Earl Ellingson, with his wife Trish, is spearheading the drive to turn a family recipe into a successful business. The cookies themselves aren't a new idea. The recipe, in fact, was cooked up by Ellingson's mom - a caterer and health food cook for sports teams - in her quest to provide food for her family of five athletic children. She wanted to create a protein-based snack that would provide energy and taste good.

A couple years ago, Ellingson explained, he and Trish had the idea to actually turn it into a business.
They incorporated as a company in January and have been offering the Activ8 products in stores since June.

The cookies are made from natural ingredients - whey protein, dates, raisins and almonds - and come in four fruit flavours: cranberry, apricot, papaya and mango. The cookies themselves are in the same niche as products such as PowerBar and Clif Bar, although Ellingson is quick to note that they're trying to differentiate themselves. For one thing, Activ8 cookies use only whey protein, rather than soy and other ingredients found in some athlete-oriented snacks. And while the other products are sold as bars, these are traditional round cookies, sold in packs of one or two. The retail price varies, but averages about $1.60 for a single 32-gram cookie and $2.69 for a double pack.

Ellingson, who's a marathon runner and triathlete, figured the market for the product would be that very type of person - long-distance runners, adventure racers and the like. "When we thought about who would eat this, we thought the typical hard-core athletes," he said. But that hasn't turned out to be the case, as recreational athletes and everyday people of all ages have been buying them.
"It's been kind of a cross-section," he said.

Ellingson figures the products are finding a niche because of society's increasing concern with losing weight and leading a more healthy lifestyle. "Everyone's getting more concerned with high blood pressure, cholesterol,"he said. With their 123 calories, 8.1 grams of protein and 2.3 grams of fat, the cookies are appealing to those with a craving for healthier snacking.

The products are available at a range of outlets: North Shore Athletics, the Vitamin House in Dundarave, Health Works in Edgemont Village, Seymour Natural Foods in the Parkgate Shopping Centre, The Pump Juice Bar, and Brewster's Coffee in Dundarave. They're also being offered at Capilano College, UBC and Emily Carr Institute, where they're flying off the shelves. The company is even doing a test run at Handsworth secondary to see if the super-cookies will catch on in the younger market. "There's a lot of talk about obesity with kids and teens," Ellingson pointed out.

Ellingson is hoping to get to the point where people in need of a quick snack will grab for a super-cookie rather than, say, a chocolate bar. "Everybody needs fast, healthy energy," Ellingson said.

The company is already eyeing some new developments for the future. There's a special kids' cookie in the works, designed to have less whey protein and sugar than the adult version. And they're starting to sell the cookies in packs with an accompanying small bottle of water, since everyone wants a drink with their snack.

Ellingson is also hoping to expand the Web-based side of the business, which has been its cornerstone but has been getting less attention since demand from local outlets has been growing.
He's eventually hoping to tap into the American market using the Internet, as well as expanding the company's presence in the Greater Vancouver area. "We're all about growth," he said, adding they're working now to line up major investors to finance their expansion.

The company will be out and about at local events over the coming months, including the Storm the North Shore adventure race on Oct.26.

For more information about Activ8 and the company, check out the Web site www.prosnack.com.