Ghassan Al-Sultan is a young Kuwaiti entrepreneur with a passion for life. He sees to it that his company’s goal is to provide the market with healthier gourmet food options, giving consumers options that are deliciously infused with nutrients that better support our modern lifestyles. Find out more about his vision in our interview with the man with a blue passion.

Introduce us to Blue Passion, especially why you chose that name.

Blue Passion International is a Kuwaiti based company primarily focused on importing quality gourmet food items. I believe that the name reflects and identifies a passion towards life.

Why did you decide to get into this sector?

We believe that there is lack of good quality food items in Kuwait particularly in the Cooperative unions. There is also a gap between what people like to eat and what is available in the market. We aim to bridge that gap with good quality products at reasonable prices.

How do you decide which products to target?

Generally when we evaluate entering into new segments, we look for unique products, good potential, reasonable margins, a sizable addressable market and low competition.

Tell us more about the products you have.

Currently, the main products of focus are the drinks lines. POKKA is one of the leading drink manufacturers in Japan. The company produces different lines such as iced teas and coffees, milk based drinks, juices and functional drinks. We are focusing on unique products like the melon and rose milk products, the Aloe Vera juices as well as the sport water.

Oxygen water is our primary focus. We have two different products; one from Malaysia and the other from Italy.

Tipco is a 100% Veggie Juice range, and a superior choice for your good health and more drinker-friendly, it’s not only fresh and tasty but also healthy for you.

Augustin’s Waffles is a traditional gourmet-liege style waffles product range imported directly from Belgium. We offer two sizes; small and large with either vanilla flavor or chocolate coating.

Tatawa cookies are healthy oat based cookies from Malaysia with different flavors. The product serving packing is very handy for a snack on the go. It also preserves the product quality. Quaker is out-sourcing the manufacturing of some of their cookie products to Tatawa which is another validation of our choice.

Gaea is one of the leading producers of olive based products from Greece. The brand has won many international awards. We are focusing on the olive snack pack that is a healthy snack for adults and kids to carry with them for work and school.

And what about you, the man behind Blue Passion? Tell us a little about yourself.

I am an engineer who graduated from the USA. I did my MBA while I was still working at Zain. Then I decided to move to the investment sector because it is more dynamic and challenging. During that time I started a few small businesses, which gave me a good foundation and understanding about the local business environment.

Was it always your passion to pursue this specific sector?

Yes it was. Healthy living is a lifestyle so that has always been a part of my character. I achieve my personal passion and goal by providing good quality food products in the market.

As a young director of a small company, what advice would you offer young professionals looking to start their own business?

My advice is to seek doing a venture you personally like, whether it is food you like to eat or a service you personally use. Second of all, one must understand the challenges of that choice prior to starting. Third, I emphasize that it is very important that you wisely choose the team members of this project to secure a smoother path to success. Lastly, in doing business you must be patient as things take time to mature and reap the fruits of your efforts.

What’s the most challenging part of your job? What is the part you most enjoy?

The most challenging part is to find the right product that match our criteria and make sure it is smoothly launched in the market.

I personally enjoy brining new products and see that we have made the right choices from the sales volume and consumer feedback and acceptance.

Fore more information, log on to: mybluepassion.com Become a fan on Facebook: MyBluePassion, and Twitter @MyBluePassion.