Novus International, Inc. Receives the 2012 Product Differentiation Excellence Award for MINTREX®

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Novus International, Inc. has received the 2012 North American Animal Feed Ingredients Product Differentiation Excellence Award for its trace mineral product MINTREX®. Novus was selected from an elite group of competitor companies by Frost & Sullivan, a 50-year-old global research organization that specializes in helping clients accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. This is the second award Novus has received from Frost & Sullivan in 2012. The company also was the recipient of the 2012 New Product Innovation Award in Prebiotics for its product PREVIDA® in September 2012.

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"We are so proud that Frost & Sullivan is recognizing Novus and MINTREX with this distinguished award," stated Thad Simons, president and CEO of Novus. "When we develop animal health and nutrition products, it is always with the goal of fulfilling our mission to make a clear difference in sustainably meeting the growing global need for nutrition and health. Receiving awards for what we truly perceive as 'doing our job' is a wonderful and much appreciated affirmation of our efforts."

To support its evaluation of best practices across multiple business performance categories, Frost & Sullivan employs a Decision Support Matrix (DSM) that is customized for each award. Potential recipients of the Product Differentiation Excellence Award are evaluated on a scale of 1 to 10 using the following set of criteria: 1) Unique Features/Functionality; 2) Quality/Complexity; 3) Customization; 4) Matched to Target Market Needs; and 5) Brand Perception. MINTREX received an overall rating of 9.4, outranking the next highest competitor by 2.4 points.

"As a leader in this market space, Novus clearly understands its customers' needs, which is evident in the range of products they offer around the world," noted Anjaneya Reddy, Industry Analyst of Frost & Sullivan. "MINTREX excelled in all five product evaluation areas and we are delighted to present Novus with the Product Differentiation Excellence Award in Animal Feed Ingredients. This product has earned its well-deserved reputation as the industry's best mineral source."

MINTREX is intended to be used as a source of trace minerals. By definition, the specific metal chelate must be declared as a metal methionine hydroxyl analogue chelate. MINTREX chelated trace minerals, including zinc, copper and manganese, are chelated using HMTBa, creating a strong bond between the ligand and the metal. This maximizes the use of minerals by the animal through greater bioavailability and digestive tract stability. Since 2004, when Novus first introduced MINTREX to the market, this product has been a trusted nutritional solution for multiple species, providing the essential trace minerals needed for healthy hooves, immunity, production and reproduction.

Novus will attend the 2013 Excellence in Best Practices Awards Ceremony, hosted by Frost & Sullivan, in San Diego, Calif., on Tuesday, March 12, 2013, where it will be presented with the award.

For more information, visit www.novusint.com

About Novus International, Inc.
Novus International, Inc. is headquartered in metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. and serves customers in nearly 100 countries around the world. A global leader in developing animal health and nutrition solutions, Novus's products include ALIMET^® and MHA^® feed supplements, ACTIVATE^® nutritional feed acid, ACIDOMIX^® preservative premixture, ADVENT^® coccidiosis control, MINTREX^® chelated trace minerals, SANTOQUIN^® feed preservative, MERA™MET aquaculture feed additive, AGRADO^® feed ingredient and many other specialty ingredients. Arenus^® (www.arenus.com) is a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC (a subsidiary of Novus International, Inc.) that focuses on developing health and dietary supplements for the equine and companion animal markets. Stratum® Nutrition, a division of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, focuses on human nutrition through specialty and functional ingredients for manufacturers of foods, beverages and dietary supplements (www.stratumnutrition.com). Novus is privately owned by Mitsui & Co. (U.S.A.), Inc. and Nippon Soda Co., Ltd. For more information, visit www.novusint.com.

®NOVUS, ALIMET, MHA, ACTIVATE, ACIDOMIX, CIBENZA, MAAC, MINTREX, SANTOQUIN and AGRADO are trademarks of Novus International, Inc. and are registered in the United States and other countries. ^®ADVENT is a trademark of Viridus Animal Health, LLC, and is registered in the United States and other countries. ^®ARENUS is a registered trademark of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC. ^®STRATUM NUTRITION is a trademark of Novus Nutrition Brands, LLC, and is registered in the United States and other countries. ^®PREVIDA is a registered trademark of TIN, Inc.  ™MERA and SOLUTIONS SERVICE SUSTAINABILITY are trademarks of Novus International, Inc. © 2012 Novus International, Inc. All rights reserved.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan is in its 50th year of business with a global research organization of 1,800 analysts and consultants who monitor more than 300 industries and 250,000 companies. The company's research philosophy originates with the CEO's 360-Degree Perspective™, which serves as the foundation of its TEAM Research™ methodology. This unique approach enables us to determine how best-in-class companies worldwide manage growth, innovation and leadership.

SOURCE Novus International, Inc.; Frost & Sullivan