We know that the right contract manufacturer can make or break your business. We also know that finding one is a tough task—especially if you don’t know where to start.

That’s why we’ve put together some advice on how to find a supplement contract manufacturer that will scale your company for growth.

6 Tips for Finding the RIGHT Supplement Contract Manufacturer

It’s no secret that the supplement industry is booming. In fact, the market was valued at 151.9 billion just last year (2021). This means that new entrants are entering the industry every day, and your company has to do what it can to stay ahead of the curve—including choosing a manufacturing partner to help you bring great products to the market.

As the supplement industry continues to progress forward, it’s important to select a manufacturer that you can trust with your products. We know that it can be a daunting task to find a manufacturer on your own, which is why we created this resource to serve as your guide throughout the process. Here are six tips on how you can select the right manufacturer for your business.

1. Research. Research. Research.

If you’re looking for a supplement contract manufacturer, it’s important to do your homework first. Before contacting potential manufacturers, make sure you know exactly what it is that you are looking for. This will help narrow down your search.

Whether you need an entire line of weight loss supplements, hormonal supplements, or something else entirely, you want to make sure that the supplement manufacturer you choose is a fit for your needs.

2. Learn the Supplement Manufacturing Process

Before you make any decisions about which supplement contract manufacturer you want to work with, it’s important that you understand how they manufacture their products. The best way to do this is by visiting their facility in person. This will allow you to see how they operate firsthand and give you a better idea of whether or not they have the capacity to meet your needs.

Don’t have time to visit the facility? Schedule a meeting call so they can do a run-down of how their supplement manufacturing process works. This will help you gauge if you want to partner with them for your manufacturing needs.

3. Ask the Right Questions

One of the most common ways that companies get into trouble with their supplement contract manufacturers is by not asking enough questions before signing the dotted line. When you’re searching for a new partner, you need to know exactly what you need and what kind of services they’re offering.

The best way to determine if a company is a good fit for your business is by asking questions. If they answer honestly and openly, it’s likely that your partnership will be beneficial for both parties.

Here are some questions worth asking when researching potential candidates:

• What kind of experience do you have in this industry?
• How long have you been operating in this market?
• What brands do you currently work with?
• Are there any restrictions on what products I can produce?
• What are your quality control procedures?
• What is your turnaround time?
• Do you have the capacity to produce the number of products we need?
• Can I speak with any clients who have worked with your company recently?

The list can go on, but you’ve probably got a good idea of some of the things you could ask.

4. Review their Certifications and/or Accreditations

The FDA does not regulate supplements as strictly as pharmaceuticals, however, there are still some regulations in place. The most important of these is the GMP certification (or Good Manufacturing Practices).

This certification means that the company has been audited by an outside agency and found to be in compliance with certain criteria that ensure products made there are safe for consumption. GMP certification also ensures that quality control procedures are followed and that employees have been trained appropriately in the custom manufacturing process.

At our supplement manufacturing business, Equinox Nutra, we take quality seriously. That’s why we are FDA-registered, GMP-certified, NSF-certified, and UDAF-registered to ensure the quality of every product that leaves our production line.

5. Know Their Services

Another thing to consider before hiring a supplement partner is all of their service offerings. Do they also have packaging options? Fulfillment services (including dealing with returns)?

Picking a contract manufacturer goes beyond simply just manufacturing the product. By selecting a one-and-done supplement partner, they should also be able to source non-GMO ingredients, test products for quality assurance, and get the products to your end customer’s doorstep—on time.

Working with a partner that fulfills all of these needs gives you time back in your day for other value-added operational tasks like sales or digital marketing.

6. Ask About On-Going Communication

You need a company that communicates well with you throughout the custom manufacturing process. This will help you stay on top of what’s going on and ensure that everything is going according to plan—or if there are any problems.

By working with a manufacturer like Equinox Nutra, you have a personal Account Manager who will give you product updates on a regular basis. During these meetings, you can talk through any questions that you may have or communicate other products you are considering adding to your physical or eCommerce shelves in the future.

Equinox Nutra: Your Trusted Supplement Contract Manufacturing Partner

Finding the right supplement contract manufacturer is a “must” if you want to get your new product off the ground quickly and effectively. From quality control to production to delivery, you need the best partner possible. Let us be that partner for you. At Equinox Nutra, we’ve had years of experience helping supplement companies just like yours bring concepts to the shelf within our Lindon, UT, facilities. We know what it takes to make great supplements and we want to be part of your success story. Connect with our supplement experts to get a quote today!

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Nutraceuticals or ‘bioCeuticals’ are dietary supplements or body products derived from natural food products. The idea of using food in this medicinal manner goes back nearly three thousand years. Hippocrates, a famous ancient Greek physician, stated “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. Due to the obvious benefit of healthy foods, the history of nutraceuticals has been one of constant and consistent growth. As a society, we recognize the medicinal power of natural whole foods.

Nature has graced us by providing the vitamins and minerals we need in the food we eat. We’ve proven to be rather creative in finding ways to consume them more efficiently. Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle doesn’t always allow one to spend sufficient time preparing nutritionally complete meals, making nutraceuticals a necessary part of the human diet.

The manufacturing of nutraceuticals is a delicate and diligent process governed by industry-wide regulatory mandates and sourcing standards. Naturally, these high industry standards render companies in today’s modern marketplace with great obstacles to overcome.

The Challenges of Nutraceutical Manufacturing

Many nutraceutical companies today are challenged to meet the current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). The wide array of regulatory mandates and sourcing standards cause significant difficulties for the nutraceutical business model. Companies struggle greatly to meet these standards while simultaneously trying to take care of the branding, marketing, and sales aspects of their business.

This ultimately renders unwanted costs to the company. Extra time is spent studying the government-enforced guidelines, money is spent on the materials necessary to meet these guidelines, and resources are subtracted from other aspects of the overall business process.

Time Spent on Understanding Guidelines

Becoming a cGMP facility requires an untold degree of time and effort. Simply familiarizing yourself with all of the requirements is already a considerably heavy task. Likewise, undergoing inspection and meeting the certification requirements multiplies the workload for nutraceutical companies striving to survive in today’s landscape.

Sourcing Materials and Equipment

The high standard for material sourcing creates many challenges for nutraceutical businesses. For example, finding reliable suppliers who comply with domestic standards takes talent, time, and effort. Additionally, companies trying to intelligently divide resources between the various departments leaves fewer resources for branding, marketing, and sales tasks.

Considering the fact that you’ll be competing with other businesses with access to state-of-the-art machinery, it might be a more strategic option to consider contract manufacturing for your nutraceutical products.

High Opportunity Cost

The term “opportunity cost” can be defined as “the loss of other alternatives when one alternative is chosen.” In regards to your business model, this refers to the resources subtracted from your branding, marketing, and sales activities as a result of having to deal with the high regulatory standards imposed on the nutraceutical industry.

The Benefits of Nutraceutical Contract Manufacturing

Contract manufacturing is when a company outsources manufacturing activities to another company that specializes in producing what they’re selling. It’s designed to help you reduce the time and cost involved with creating competitive nutraceutical products. Rather than starting at the beginning and competing with businesses that are already well-established in the industry, our nutraceutical contract manufacturing services ensure superior, market-standard products at no extra cost to your time. So, what are the benefits of outsourcing your nutraceutical manufacturing?

More Time Spent Generating Profit

Producing a quality nutraceutical requires refining each of the many steps in the production process. The process begins with sourcing quality raw materials from trusted suppliers. The raw materials then need to be mixed in state-of-the-art blending machinery, encapsulated, and bottled. Every stage in the process requires specialized expertise, talent, and time.

Without the heavy costs to your time and finances, you’ll be able to focus on profit-generating activities such as marketing and driving sales. Every aspect of product business is costly, the aim is to generate more profit to justify these costs. You can omit costs on materials, material sourcing, equipment, space for production, and so much more.

Competitive Products Made by Industry Specialists

Even if you have the extra resources needed to manufacture everything in-house, the likelihood that your product will meet the top of industry-standard is considerably lowered. Remember, you’re competing with specialists with decades of expertise and experience in the industry. By outsourcing your production to a contract manufacturer, your brand will become known for the substantial product behind its name.

Creating Value Through Strategic Partnership

When you enter into a strategic collaboration, you create value by dividing tasks and sharing resources. Likewise, partnering with a contract manufacturer opens the doors to many opportunities which would be otherwise inaccessible. A good partnership is all about creating mutually beneficial solutions that leave both parties at an advantage over their competitors.

At Equinox, we place an extremely high value on product quality, service, and transparency. We succeed by excelling at what we do and realize that our success depends wholly on the success of our partners—something we work hard to achieve.

Why Choose Equinox?

We have an impressive history and track record of creating products that excel in the market. From dietary supplements and beauty skin care products to sports and workout supplements, we offer a wide range of stock products that you can feel confident with.

We provide a start-to-finish contract manufacturing service that involves component sourcing, product formulation, and packaging to clients. Because Equinox harbors a reservoir of talented experts with competitive nutraceutical experience, you naturally benefit. Consequently, choosing us as your nutraceutical manufacturing partner gives you an undeniable advantage over your competitors.

Custom Contract Manufacturing With Equinox

Uniqueness is something we value greatly at Equinox. We understand that products that stand out from their competitors drive sales. That’s why we offer custom contract manufacturing services to our partners. You might have a unique idea for a new product but aren’t sure how to go about creating it. We can help you.

Our years of nutraceutical experience have resulted in many strategic partnerships with industry experts. We have all of the necessary tools and resources to bring your product idea to fruition. Additionally, we have the means to manufacture it to an incredible standard. Let us help you achieve your perfect product blend.

Find Out More About Our Services

Considering the many challenges faced by today’s nutraceutical industry and the many benefits of outsourcing production, finding a strategic partnership might be the better option. Find out more about our services or contact us now for a free quote. We’re ready to make your business model more efficient so that you can focus on driving sales.