Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/550316
66 tobaccoasia By Thomas Schmid The special requirements of the e-smoking and vaping industry are driving a new breed of dynamic and innovative flavor companies such as Flavoriq, a recent off-spin of Hertz Flavors. Flavor additives have always played a consider- able role in traditional tobacco products, but the emergence of e-smoking and vaping has opened up a whole new world to conquer. This new mar- ket segment has become so all-important that even large, long-established flavor firms are compelled to secure their share of the pie before it is all snatched up by newcomers. Based in Dubai (UAE) and only established in 2014, Flavoriq DMCC is one such spin-off com- pany, in this case, of a global market leader, Ger- many's Hertz Flavors GmbH & Co. KG. Officially positioning itself as a "strategic partner" to Hertz, Flavoriq decided to strictly set up as a B2B com- pany, exclusively selling its products in industrial quantities only (5kg minimum order for flavors and 25kg minimum for liquids). "This decision was necessary to keep our focus and assure our clients that we will never be direct competitors", Hertz' managing director Philipp N. Hertz explained to Tobacco Asia on behalf of Flavoriq DMCC. Dubai was chosen for the company's head- quarters because of its strategic location between the industry's production hotspots in East Asia and its key markets in Europe and the Middle East. "Dubai serves as a dynamic and global hub that is ideally situated between the Eastern and the West- ern worlds, allowing Flavoriq to benefit from op- timum international exposure," explained Hertz. Additionally, the city's booming economy, strong business mindedness, excellent infrastructure, and easy access to transportation make Dubai an ideal location for young and innovative start-ups such as Flavoriq. Flavoriq's New Vaping Venture Electronic testing equipment