A Recipe for Success
THIS YEAR, DSN is pleased to recognize Hy Cite as the winner of a Bravo Impact Award. This award honors the achievements of companies that take a holistic, measured and incremental approach to growth, innovation, operational integrity and excellence. As an industry leader that embodies these traits and more, Hy Cite is on the path to accomplishing the brand’s ambitious vision: to redefine the direct selling industry for the better.
The Right Ingredients
Founded in 1959 by Peter O. Johnson, Sr., Hy Cite began as a garage startup built on a foundation of core values and a handful of cookware and kitchenware products. Now, 65 years later, Hy Cite offers its high-end products exclusively through its network of 10,000 independent distributors and has direct operations in eight countries in North and South America. It has grown into one of the top direct selling companies in the world—and an influencer in the industry. Hy Cite’s President and CEO, Paulo Moledo, attributes a large part of the organization’s success to unique perspectives and growth strategies.
“We are purists when it comes to the direct sales channel,” Paulo explained. “We are committed to keeping direct selling as our exclusive distribution channel, because we believe in the entrepreneurship opportunity for our independent distributors. They provide amazing personalized service to customers of our exceptional kitchenware products which generates customer demand. And corporately, we are committed to producing innovative, ever-evolving tools and services for our distributors.”
As much as the company emphasizes excellence, innovation and growth, Hy Cite’s leadership team knows that the secret to reaching these goals is through strong relationships, which results from operational integrity. “At Hy Cite, we know that not much can be achieved alone; therefore, trusting each other is paramount,” said Paulo. “Our employees are our priority number one. Why? We believe that happy, engaged, empowered, trained and well-equipped employees will always do the right thing to support the businesses of our independent distributors. We unabashedly place the most value on people and relationships over everything else—starting at the home office, and branching out from there.”
Cooking up a Plan
In 2019, the executive team at Hy Cite recognized the need for a strategic shift that would help secure the future of the company, hiring Paulo as Senior Vice President of Strategy. He became President just six months later and his appointment to CEO came in 2022, after an extensive training and transition period. Focusing on the employee experience, followed by the independent distributor earning potential, new product development, stronger product marketing and enhanced customer service, Paulo has helped to maintain Hy Cite’s historic sustainable growth: 13 percent CAGR since 2013 and an 86 percent growth since 2019.
Another milestone Hy Cite completed last year is an enterprise-wide rebranding project, which introduced a modern new image for the company. “The new brand is gorgeous, but I also appreciate our explicit commitment to our industry expressed through our new slogan: ‘Direct Selling, The Way It’s Meant to Be!’ There’s no other way for a customer to get our Royal Prestige kitchenware products other than through direct selling. We want entrepreneurs to maximize the earning opportunity, and we are fully committed to their success,” Paulo shared. “We value stability and have a very low churn rate. We never play with the channel. We believe that’s the way it’s meant to be.”
Serving Up Success
What’s next for Hy Cite? “In 2024, we will continue to do what we have been doing for decades: be a great employer for our incredible team of over 1,600 employees. We will also focus on helping our independent distributors be successful, launch a few exciting new products and keep winning in Brazil,” Paulo said. “We have an ambitious team with lots of goals and dreams. But for us, two things never change: employees as our number one priority, and direct sales as our exclusive model and channel. It all goes back to relationships built on trust.”
By continually seeking out new opportunities for growth, investing in innovative products, maintaining a strong commitment to integrity and striving for excellence, Hy Cite has been able to establish themselves as a leader in the industry. With a solid foundation built on these key principles, Hy Cite is well positioned for continued success in the years to come.
Paulo concluded, “We’re so grateful for this award. I see it as recognition for the value of our company’s mission—and remaining true to it since the very beginning of Hy Cite 65 years ago. This honor motivates us to stay on track and keep investing in the channel.”
Congratulations to Paulo Moledo and the entire Hy Cite team on their Bravo Impact Award.
From the June 2024 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
