Gruppo Nutrition officially fuelling Canada’s volleyball athletes

For many food companies, success isn’t entirely about numbers on a spreadsheet. In addition to growing sales, many are looking to provide their customers with a product that exceeds all expectations related to a particular need or want.

In the case of Gruppo Nutrition, that means providing athletes—from amateur to professional—with the protein blends they need to fuel and recover. This dedication to quality has landed the company a number of partnerships with Canadian sports organizations, most recently Volleyball Canada.

“Over this four-year partnership, we believe that we will emerge as, when someone says nutrition in volleyball, they’re going to think Gruppo,” said Gruppo Nutrition CEO Darcy Haggith. “It’s really cool being able to go to an event where there’s 18,000 players [under 18] being exposed to this brand … It’s the beginning of the process, but we believe that that’s what will manifest.”

Volleyball Canada and Gruppo had been working together in a less official capacity for about four years before making their partnership announcement in May 2025. This gave the partners time to ensure Gruppo’s products are ideal for the athletes, while allowing Gruppo the opportunity to refine their formulations. This includes the plant-based protein blend they’ve been developing under two Protein Industries Canada projects, ideal for athletes with whey allergies or vegan preferences.

Gruppo’s protein offerings are largely whey-based, but Haggith explained there’s a growing number of athletes—approximately 15 to 20 per cent—who are choosing plant-based or vegan options due to either health concerns or preference. By including a plant-based protein selection within their lineup, Gruppo is setting themselves apart from other sports nutrition companies on the market.

That, and the company’s willingness to adjust their formulations to what athletes need, has been critical in helping them solidify new partnerships.

“We have become a different sports nutrition company because of our relationships with the sports organizations,” Haggith said. “By working alongside sports nutritionists, the dietitians, the athletes, we have learned so much in how to fuel the best athletes in Canada, how to fuel high-volume athletes, folks that are doing 30-plus hours a week. What we’ve learned there, we have brought into our everyday products.”

As the company moves forward, Haggith is looking to take this willingness to adapt and apply it to other areas of Gruppo’s business. He hopes to make the products’ packaging more sustainable by sourcing recyclable or compostable bags, or by making a switch to compostable scoops.