Cal Bewicke has worked in the dietary supplement industry for 40 years. From 1986 to 2006 he owned and ran TransAtlantic Services (TAS), providing business and product development consulting services to a wide range of companies. In 2006 he and Leo Liu founded Ethical Naturals, Inc. (ENI), a supplier of standardized botanical extracts and proprietary ingredients to the U.S. and international supplement markets. ENI’s distribution, testing laboratory, and finished product manufacturing operations are all cGMP certified by NSF, and the company operates out of its solar-powered facility in Redwood City, CA.

Health E-Insights (HEI): You are celebrating your 20th year in business. To what do you attribute your success?

Bewicke: We founded ENI on the principle of “Nature Verified by Science,” and this is the way my partner Leo Liu and I have continued to run and grow our company. Unlike many distribution channels where no meaningful testing takes place, all the materials supplied by ENI are fully tested to conform to our company’s NSF-certified GMP standards.

In addition to these quality standards, ENI plans far ahead in building a solid foundation for each product, from regulatory to research. We always plan ahead with hand-picked, audited manufacturers to assure inventory and long-term supply. This allows us to ship materials on time, even in periods of shortage or difficult supply chain issues. Our customers know we are reliable partners, always.

Another key contributor to our growth and sustainability has been the development of our encapsulation and bottling facility. This now enables ENI to supply products either in bulk or as finished products. As a result, ENI is one of the few ingredient suppliers able to offer this “one-stop service” to customers.

This creates core advantages for our customers and our business. ENI’s certified quality control now extends through the entire product supply chain, “From Field to Finished Product.” If they wish, it saves our customers the added cost and time of purchasing and qualifying ingredients through other contract manufacturers.

Verified quality, reliability, and a high level of customer service that extends to both large and small customers are some of the keys to our success.

HEI: What are your top branded ingredients?

Bewicke: Another key to our success has been the development of high-level, branded ingredients.

• AlphaWave L-Theanine: Stress-relief benefits supported by three clinical studies.
• GreenGrown Glucosamine: Leading vegetable source of glucosamine in the U.S., used in many vegetarian joint-health products.
• Cranberex: The highest-grade cranberry extract available, sourced from the region that produces the highest levels of actives for which people take cranberry supplements, and supported by two clinical studies at Rutgers University.
• Polyphenol-C: Non-GMO vitamin-C with a wide spectrum of polyphenols.

HEI: How do you evaluate success beyond financial metrics?

Bewicke: Due to the high standards we set internally for our company, we’re able to work every day with the best people and companies in every sector of our industry. The ENI team, the way we run our company, results in exceptional relationships with our employees. Our core team members have been with the company for 15 to 20 years. It’s gratifying every day to work with, interact with, and be friends for so many years with these great people. We know that our reliable delivery of the highest-quality ingredients benefits many companies and consumers in the U.S. and around the world. When one puts the above together, the financial metrics follow.

HEI: What is your long-term vision for Ethical Naturals?

Bewicke: To continue the work we do, bringing high-quality, specialty nutritional ingredients and finished products to an ever-widening circle in both the U.S. and internationally.

HEI: How does Ethical Naturals plan to stay innovative and competitive in the industry?

Bewicke: A first way is to continue to validate the benefits of our key branded ingredients with additional published clinical studies that expand the body of science we’ve built thus far. We are currently performing a fourth clinical study on AlphaWave L-Theanine to provide further validation of its ability to support mental acuity as well as relaxation. We are performing a study on Polyphenol-C to confirm its superior antioxidant and other key qualities. Additionally, we are actively researching several other ingredients that may fit our standards of science and quality.

HEI: Any recent industry trends you are most excited about, and how is the company adapting?

Bewicke: With new clinical studies and review of several new ingredients, we continue to expand our contributions in key categories: stress relief, joint care, sports nutrition, and health span products such as Polyphenol-C. In addition, we’re seeing tremendous growth in the functional beverage category, particularly with AlphaWave L-Theanine, which is ideally suited for this delivery format.

HEI: How might the recently announced proposed tariffs affect your business?

Bewicke: Currently, our customers are happy with the way we’ve worked on our supply chain, through inventory control, planning, and careful ordering patterns with our manufacturing partners, to mitigate as far as possible the effects of tariffs. The ongoing uncertainty is very hard on all businesses so our process of planning ahead and communicating regularly with customers helps all involved insulate against some of the worst effects.

HEI: How does your company give back to the community?

Bewicke: Our primary way of giving back to the community is through the support we give to our employee team and their families. Diversity and inclusion are in our DNA, and we recognize the significant contributions of our diverse team. Apart from that, we support Vitamin Angels and a local food bank. We support industry organizations such as the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the American Botanical Council (ABC), the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA), and Women in Nutraceuticals (WIN). We have initiated effective environmental and recycling changes throughout our supply chain, and our main facility is solar-powered.