Vystar Corp (VYST)

[Wolverine19]

Interview with Steve Rotman, CEO at Vystar Corporation
January 20, 2018

Starting a business is a big achievement for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining one is the larger challenge. There are many standard challenges that face every business whether they are large or small. It is not easy running a company, especially in a fast-paced, ever-changing business world. Technology advances, new hiring strategies, and now, political changes coming with the new administration, all add to the existing business challenges that entrepreneurs, business owners, and executives have to deal with.

Maximizing profits, minimizing expenses and finding talented staff to keep things moving seem to be top challenges for both SMBs and large corporations. We have been interviewing companies from around the world to discover what challenges they are facing in their businesses. We also asked each company to share business advice they would give to a younger version of themselves.

Below is our interview with Steve Rotman, CEO at Vystar Corporation:

What does your company do?

Vystar Corp. develops ecofriendly, sustainable technologies and products to create a safe, healthy home environment. Vystar created Vytex® natural rubber latex (NRL), the only latex that is free of 99.8% of allergy- and odor-causing latex proteins, for a superior, stronger, more durable and pure, sustainable material. Vystar licenses and/or oversees manufacture of Vytex® deproteinized latex products including mattresses, pillows, bed toppers, balloons, textiles, shoes, clothing, adhesives, foams, furniture, protective equipment, and sporting equipment, as well as health care products, such as condoms, surgical and exam gloves, and catheters.

What is your role? What do you enjoy most about your role?

I’ve been the CEO of Vystar for one month. For the past 30 years, I’ve been CEO of Rotman’s Furniture & Carpet, one of the largest furniture stores in New England. Over the years at Rotmans, I heard from thousands of customers that they wanted sustainable, natural furniture and products for their homes, but couldn’t find them. I founded a company that served as a distributor for Vystar and recently became CEO of Vystar because I see huge potential for Vytex and I enjoy connecting Vystar with manufacturers so we can produce eco-friendly Vytex latex products such as mattresses, apparel, shoes, gloves, etc., that are more durable and will function better and be totally biodegradable, while being free of the chemicals, odors and off gassing common to many memory foams, plastics and latex used in home products today.

What are the biggest challenges in your business right now?

Our biggest challenge is building awareness of Vytex as a more desirable material than traditional latex, memory foams and plastic with very limited capital and a small sales staff. Previously Vytex w as sold as a commodity with extremely tight margins. We are in the process of changing our business strategy to now partner with manufacturers to produce branded products with Vytex. All the manufacturers who try Vytex, love it, but it’s a matter of getting out in front of potential partners and customers to introduce them to the eco-friendly material they have been seeking for decades.

If you could go back in time, what business advice would you give to a younger version of yourself?

I’ve had a great run with our Rotmans family business, but I am really enjoying taking on the additional role of entrepreneur/CEO in my new role with Vystar, where I am actively involved in steering the development of all-natural, sustainable products that people want and need. There is such a huge need in so many areas for natural, high quality, eco-friendly, affordable products, yet so few companies are producing them. I would advise my younger self, and others, to look beyond the safe environment of selling what is typically available and embrace the challenge of creating sustainable, cost effective products that will help to preserve our environment for future generations.
https://usaweekly.com/2018/01/interview-with-steve-rotman-ceo-at-vystar-corporation/