Stephen Black, Sales and promotion Manager of FDABM Maki Nibayashi

With claims of cancer-curing powers, the medicinal mushroom Agaricus blazei murill fungi is making its way around the globe, thanks to distributors like FDABM Center. Maki Nibayashi talks to Sales and Promotion Manager Stephen Black about opportunities at his growing company.

Tell us a bit about your company.
Our company was originally called Saisho K.K., but we are expanding into an English speaking market, so we set up the FDABM Center (Freeze Dried Agaricus Blazei Murill). The FDABM Center at this point is small, mainly my partner and I and three assistants in the States. We started the center this year, and it is growing rapidly; we need more staff here in Japan. ABM stands for Agaricus blazei murill. It strengthens and nourishes the immune system, and there is research documenting its positive effects on many diseases. It was first "discovered" by an American professor in 1965. A few years later, two Japanese professors presented papers to the Japanese National Cancer Institute. The ABM industry began shortly after that. Today, there are about 250 companies selling it.

At the FDABM Center, we co-ordinate sales between individuals and distributors in the English-speaking world and develop international marketing plans. At FDABM Center we mainly educate and process orders for ABM. At times, the work is rewarding, as some of the requests come from those suffering from serious diseases. We also have fun at the New York show in the fall, and we are trying to set up a "ABM Mushroom Night" with a couple of Japanese and New York bands and some Brazilian musicians. If there are any musicians interested, they can reach us through the website.

What is FDABM?
ABM has been in use here in Japan for nearly 30 years and, in terms of sales it is the top-selling health supplement here. We sell only the freeze-dried form of ABM, hence the name FDABM. Our supplier, Taiai, was the first company in the world to grow it in a commercial, controlled environment. They are certified by the Japanese government as a producer of food. Taiai is the only company in the world to make the freeze-dried form of ABM. For those who want to take ABM for health reasons, we believe our form is the most efficient, convenient and economical. And, FDABM tastes good. It can be used in soups, salads, pastas - anything that regular mushrooms can be used in.

What kind of people are you looking for?
We are looking for people who understand the value of health, nutrition and human relationships. Our staff passionately believes in what they do. Because most of our work occurs in an English-speaking environment, some level of English language ability is required. We welcome inquiries from anyone, any age or any background. The more computer-literate, the better, but we can train if necessary.

What are the responsibilities/salaries that accompany the positions?
If someone is genuinely interested in making the FDABM center a part of his or her life, we will do everything we can to find a way to make it work. It is possible to process orders at home part time, for example. There may be a situation where we need coordinating assistance for the upcoming shows, and many sales and distribution possibilities. Again, the FDABM center is new and growing quickly. Salary would be better-than-average in nearly all areas. Skills and experience are also a factor. Besides salary, we are trying to create a flexible, fun work environment. Most importantly, we are sharing a positive part of Japanese health with the rest of the world.

Contact information:
Anyone interested should take a look at our website, www.freezedriedagaricus.com   through which you can email résumés (no attachments please).

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