Previously, he was cultivation manager at Wilcox Natural Products, where he developed and managed the cultivation program for plants used in the medicinal botanical trade and built the department into what many consider the best in the industry. Mr. Fletcher qualified growers according to specific requirements then contracted with each on a production basis. He worked to educate and assist each grower in proper cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest handling techniques for the chosen crop to produce the best possible product. Besides working with Wilcox Growers from Chile, to Canada, and beyond, he oversaw both Wilcox’s farms in Boone, NC, and in Fresno, CA, where, among other crops, 525 acres of Echinacea purpurea was grown. After the closing of Wilcox Natural Products, he founded Strategic Sourcing, a company that he gave direction in getting started, to head up their botanical division. Strategic Sourcing specializes in the supply of cultivated and sustainably harvested medicinal botanicals. He oversees all aspects of the production, marketing and sales of the chosen botanicals they produce.
  
Health E-Insights: Tell our readers about Strategic Sourcing.
 
Mr. Fletcher: Strategic Sourcing is a botanical raw material supplier to the dietary supplement industry—one that is dedicated to providing our customer and partners with a consistent supply of botanical raw materials from cultivated or sustainably harvested production protocols. We grow and supply ourselves and also work hand in hand with farmers and harvesters to assure the botanical species being produced follows the American Herbal Products Association’s Good Agricultural Collection Practices and go on to meet the specifications of our customers. We are not afraid to get dirt on our boots and under our fingernails to provide our customers with the best materials.
 
Health E-Insights: What is your company’s competitive advantage?
 
Mr. Fletcher: Experience. Personally, I have had the privilege, as a fourth generation nurseryman, of having been in the horticulture business and growing native plants all of my life. At a young age, I learned to identify, propagate and grow most species utilized in the dietary supplement markets and thoroughly enjoy sharing this knowledge with our partners. We have complete chain of custody from our farms, growers, or collectors to us and on to our customers. When we introduce our customers to the plants in the field and they see the actual botanical growing, there are often “ah-ha” moments once the connection is made. These are living plants that respond to careful harvest and post-harvest handling techniques just as a tomato or pepper that you see on your grocer’s shelf suffers if not handled with care. I believe in the superior quality of every botanical Strategic Sourcing sells. Whether sustainably wild-crafted or grown under strict protocols, I personally oversee this process from seed to our customers’ shelves. We maintain relationships with our growers for years and currently have some for well over two decades; we both understand what it takes to deliver the best product possible so that our customers/partners can manufacture a superior finished product that is efficacious and beneficial to their customers.
 
Health E-Insights: What are your proudest accomplishments in the past 5 years?
 
Mr. Fletcher: I am most proud of my work with The American Herbal Products Association (APHA). I have served as a member on AHPA’s various committees for more than two decades. I also served two terms as chairman of the board and continue to serve on the board of trustees as well as the chairperson of the botanical raw materials committee. I was honored to be awarded the 2011 APHA Herbal Hero award. This was especially meaningful as I was chosen by my colleagues. In addition, I am also proud to serve as an advisor to the American Herbal Pharmacopeia, serve on the dietary supplement expert committee of the U.S. Pharmacopeia and my relationship with the American Botanical Council. I encourage any company in the herbal products industry to be active in these or other industry organizations and add your voice to the vital decisions that affects us all  
 
Health E-Insights: What has been your most effective marketing tactic to drive business?
 
Mr. Fletcher: One-on-one relationships with my customers. I am constantly in touch with the issues and concerns that can affect the supply of botanicals in any given harvest season. I believe that my association with AHPA and the contacts and friends that I have made there have been the most effective in highlighting our commitment to not only the particular herbals we sell, but to the growth of the entire category of dietary supplements.
 
Health E-Insights: As COO does anything keep you up at night?
 
Mr. Fletcher: There is a problem in our industry with adulteration in some of the higher volume herbals. While this is only a tiny percentage of the market, we are keenly aware that it only takes one negative report in the press to do a great deal of damage to our industry. These herbs have an outstanding safety record and a long history of therapeutic use. It keeps me up at night that a single article in the media could discourage someone from considering a dietary supplement to support and complement a healthy lifestyle. Consumer confidence is key, so we need to work diligently to make sure adulteration is stopped.
 
Health E-Insights: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
 
Mr. Fletcher: I see a tropical beach, palm trees and a continuous buffet of amazing healthy foods and fresh juices, surrounded by friends and family. On a serious note, I see a world where we treat everyday sickness utilizing the plants that God put here for our wellness and well-being.
 
Health E-Insights: What is the one thing you hope to accomplish by the end of 2014?
 
Mr. Fletcher: Other than organize my office? My goal is to continue building and improving my business relationships so the end result is fair equity for all the links in the supply chain.
 
Sheldon Baker is well-known for creating nutraceutical brand marketing and public relations campaigns. For Health E-Insights interview consideration, contact him at Sheldon@NutraInk.com. And follow him on Twitter @NutraInk.