11.01.09
Established as a family-owned food-ingredient brokerage firm in 1978, Premium Ingredients, Carol Stream, IL, has since evolved into a global nutritional ingredient distributor focused on product quality, cutting edge innovation, superior service, on-time availability and competitive pricing.
By the 1990s, as the company’s sales base grew and more people began taking an interest in health and nutrition, founder Richard Thorp noticed his customers were looking for more from their distributors.
Focused on fulfilling a commitment to customer service, he would establish Premium Ingredients Ltd in 1992 as a distributor of nutritional ingredients, primarily of vitamin C in the early years, according to current president Don Thorp, Richard Thorp’s son. Reflecting its expansion throughout North and Central America, Europe and parts of Asia, the company’s name was changed in 2006 to Premium Ingredients International. Today the company maintains offices in Utah, Missouri, New Jersey, Toronto, London, China and India.
The company specializes in vitamins and amino acids, but also offers a variety of other popular ingredients, such as glucosamine, chondroitin and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), various proteins and other nutritional ingredients, alongside flavors and colors.
“Premium Ingredients has truly become an all-around one-stop-shopping type of distributor,” said Don Thorp. The company has recently made a strategic investment into the research and development (R&D) side of its business, he added. And since companies have cut back on personnel and other costs in light of the recession, Mr. Thorp said more of his customers have been requesting help in formulating their products. With its recent investments, the company now has resources for particle size reduction, which includes grinding equipment and an air classifier mill. “We offer full-service grinding now to help those customers that need to have instantly dissolvable products,” he said.
Mr. Thorp also noted that as a global company in the nutritional industry, quality control needs to be paramount. “Within the nutritional industry over the past few years more products coming from foreign sources have gotten somewhat of a bad name because of certain contaminants,” he said. “There’s no doubt that we at Premium Ingredients want to be the leader in quality control.”
The company, which has about 105 employees in total, has a quality control staff that includes a director and three other full-time staff members, Mr. Thorp noted. “Every day, all day, they do all the regulatory work, specification sheets, certificates of analysis [C of As], testing of products and incoming raw materials. Customers want to know where their product is coming from. Premium Ingredients has always been the one to say, ‘Here’s the specification sheet, the C of A.’ Everything is from the supplier, or the manufacturer, and that’s so important nowadays.”
With continued focus on quality, many customers are also asking for third party audits. “That way customers have a much better feeling that this supplier they’re buying from has all the right quality control measures in place,” said Mr. Thorp. While Premium Ingredients conducts internal audits, it is also working with a third party to satisfy its customers. “We audit our facilities ourselves personally, but a lot of companies want that arm’s length, third party audit,” Mr. Thorp acknowledged.
Looking forward, Mr. Thorp said he believes the industry’s future will be bright. “Baby Boomers are getting to the age of 45 and 65 where they want and need to have better nutrition,” he noted. “And they’re going to continue to take vitamins and proteins, and amino acids. If you look at all the research, Baby Boomers will continue to lead the way in that area.” Meanwhile, Generation Y will have its own impact on the current market, as this group demands nutritional products such as energy drinks and alternative beverages that contain vitamins, minerals and amino acids, he added.
Overall, the industry has done pretty well considering the impact the economic recession has had on business all over the world, Mr. Thorp offered. He said he expects continued growth moving into the future, but cautioned that prices will likely continue to be volatile. “You have to make sure your lead times are in place and you’re dealing with the right suppliers. Building relationships with the right suppliers will be key to a company’s longevity. And I really believe Premium Ingredients has an edge.” —SM
Premium Ingredients
285 E. Fullerton Ave.
Carol Stream, IL 60188
Telephone: 630-868-0300
Fax: 630-868-0310
E-mail: sales@premiumingredients.com
Website: www.premiumingredients.com
By the 1990s, as the company’s sales base grew and more people began taking an interest in health and nutrition, founder Richard Thorp noticed his customers were looking for more from their distributors.
Focused on fulfilling a commitment to customer service, he would establish Premium Ingredients Ltd in 1992 as a distributor of nutritional ingredients, primarily of vitamin C in the early years, according to current president Don Thorp, Richard Thorp’s son. Reflecting its expansion throughout North and Central America, Europe and parts of Asia, the company’s name was changed in 2006 to Premium Ingredients International. Today the company maintains offices in Utah, Missouri, New Jersey, Toronto, London, China and India.
The company specializes in vitamins and amino acids, but also offers a variety of other popular ingredients, such as glucosamine, chondroitin and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), various proteins and other nutritional ingredients, alongside flavors and colors.
“Premium Ingredients has truly become an all-around one-stop-shopping type of distributor,” said Don Thorp. The company has recently made a strategic investment into the research and development (R&D) side of its business, he added. And since companies have cut back on personnel and other costs in light of the recession, Mr. Thorp said more of his customers have been requesting help in formulating their products. With its recent investments, the company now has resources for particle size reduction, which includes grinding equipment and an air classifier mill. “We offer full-service grinding now to help those customers that need to have instantly dissolvable products,” he said.
Mr. Thorp also noted that as a global company in the nutritional industry, quality control needs to be paramount. “Within the nutritional industry over the past few years more products coming from foreign sources have gotten somewhat of a bad name because of certain contaminants,” he said. “There’s no doubt that we at Premium Ingredients want to be the leader in quality control.”
The company, which has about 105 employees in total, has a quality control staff that includes a director and three other full-time staff members, Mr. Thorp noted. “Every day, all day, they do all the regulatory work, specification sheets, certificates of analysis [C of As], testing of products and incoming raw materials. Customers want to know where their product is coming from. Premium Ingredients has always been the one to say, ‘Here’s the specification sheet, the C of A.’ Everything is from the supplier, or the manufacturer, and that’s so important nowadays.”
With continued focus on quality, many customers are also asking for third party audits. “That way customers have a much better feeling that this supplier they’re buying from has all the right quality control measures in place,” said Mr. Thorp. While Premium Ingredients conducts internal audits, it is also working with a third party to satisfy its customers. “We audit our facilities ourselves personally, but a lot of companies want that arm’s length, third party audit,” Mr. Thorp acknowledged.
Looking forward, Mr. Thorp said he believes the industry’s future will be bright. “Baby Boomers are getting to the age of 45 and 65 where they want and need to have better nutrition,” he noted. “And they’re going to continue to take vitamins and proteins, and amino acids. If you look at all the research, Baby Boomers will continue to lead the way in that area.” Meanwhile, Generation Y will have its own impact on the current market, as this group demands nutritional products such as energy drinks and alternative beverages that contain vitamins, minerals and amino acids, he added.
Overall, the industry has done pretty well considering the impact the economic recession has had on business all over the world, Mr. Thorp offered. He said he expects continued growth moving into the future, but cautioned that prices will likely continue to be volatile. “You have to make sure your lead times are in place and you’re dealing with the right suppliers. Building relationships with the right suppliers will be key to a company’s longevity. And I really believe Premium Ingredients has an edge.” —SM
Premium Ingredients
285 E. Fullerton Ave.
Carol Stream, IL 60188
Telephone: 630-868-0300
Fax: 630-868-0310
E-mail: sales@premiumingredients.com
Website: www.premiumingredients.com
