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Potential contract manufacturers of supplements-Europe
Introduction
In searching for contract manufacturers of supplements, we focused on smaller companies that offer low order minimums and the ability to focus on smaller clients. We started our search narrowed in on Spain but then broadened the parameters to include all of Europe. In dissecting the results, we avoided companies that claimed to work with many high-profile clients or boasted that they are an industry leader, as these companies tended to produce supplements at a massive volume and thus required very high order minimums. Keeping all of this in mind, three Europe-based companies rose to the top of the list: Blackburn Distributions, Evivita, and Nutresco. We'll take a deep-dive into our findings below.
The Results
Blackburn Distributions
Blackburn Distributions is based out of Northwest England and specifically states that they specialize in working with smaller clients: "from personal trainers to supplement stores, to aspiring entrepreneurs to well-established businesses." Founded in 2004, Blackburn focuses on sports supplements, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals as well as providing every step of the supplement production process, from development to encapsulation. It's a relatively small company, with 10 employees or fewer, and founder Ben Blackburn was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his region, North West Lancashire, in 2010.
The Lancashire Telegraph, in an article celebrating the 10th anniversary of Blackburn Distributions, referred to this manufacturer as "a fabulous blueprint for further start-ups to follow," which suggests that Ben Blackburn and his team would make for solid partners for other entrepreneurs.
While no specific contract information is available without contacting Blackburn, they do state that most orders can be completed within 3-5 business days, and they are happy to provide free quotes for inquiring clients. To contact Blackburn Distributions for a quote, call +44 (0) 1282 613364 or access the live chat feature on their website, http://www.blackburndistributions.com.
Evivita
Evivita is located in The Netherlands and claims that their "minimum order requirements are lower than those of any other manufacturer in the world." While their lead times are a bit slower than others (5-12 weeks on custom formulas), they specialize in helping their clients grow through well-crafted marketing and sales strategies. They call themselves "the product of a collaboration between a producer, a marketing company and a laboratory," making them a well-rounded team with much to offer their clients, particularly those fairly new to the nutritional supplement and health products realms on which Evivita focuses.
Evivita is another small company, with only four employees, and was founded in 2012. Their small size and relative newness suggests an ability to work closely with their clients and an eagerness to grow. Coupled with their diverse professional backgrounds, the Evivita team seems to be an appealing choice.
Potential clients can request further information or a quote by calling 0031 (0) 75 230 00 54 or emailing info@evivita.nl.
Nutresco
Nutresco is the youngest company on this list at only five years old, and they are looking to grow. They wholesale weight loss, nutritional, and herbal supplements but also offer custom formulation and manufacturing services. Despite the relative newness of the UK-based company, their team has "more than 50 years of combined experience in the nutraceutical, OTC and pharmaceutical industries" to help their clients develop, package, and distribute supplements. Nutresco claims to be a "one-stop shop solution" in this regard, and they also note that they have experience with "very reliable fulfillment services" which they can introduce to clients, as well.
Nutresco appears to be another fairly small company, with less than 10 employees. Still, they offer a "couple of weeks" turn-around time on custom formulations, which is quite a bit quicker than Evivita but still slower than Blackburn Distributions. Nutresco also offers discounts for bulk orders or orders with generic packaging.
Nutresco can be reached for further contract details and a custom quote by phone at +44 (0) 845 1233 932 or by emailing paul@nutresco.com.
Other Information
While each of these companies states their commitment to helping their clients develop their formulas, they do not explicitly mention that clients are able to use their laboratories. This is likely because of the guidelines and standards associated with the environments in which pharmaceuticals and supplements are produced.
We were unable to find small manufacturers located in Spain. Our extensive search only revealed contract manufacturers in Spain that operated on large scales and served high-profile clients.
Due to the complexity and variation in supplement orders, potential clients must reach out to these companies for contract details and custom quotes. No contract details were readily available on their public sites.
It might be worth it to inquire about the use of laboratory space when reaching out to these companies, based on their stated commitments to collaborating with and helping clients grow.
Conclusion
Blackburn Distributions, Evivita, and Nutresco all seem to be good fits for a small supplement company looking for a contract manufacturer willing to work in lower quantities. Further, because of each of the above companies' willingness to help clients along with each stage of the supplement development process, they are solid examples of smaller manufacturers who can grow with a company.