Company Description

History

Bluebonnet Nutrition Corporation was founded almost two decades ago on the basic principle that we offer the cleanest, purest, most natural nutritional supplement exclusively to natural food retailers. Today, we are proud to say that we still honor this commitment and that our devotion is loyal and true. Since the launch of our company in 1991 in the heart of Sugar Land, TX, we’ve carefully sowed the seeds of success by our unwavering pledge to the five powers of Bluebonnet Nutrition: Nature, Science, Quality, Truth and Knowledge—one power for every petal of the Texas state flower from which we take our name.

A Family Affair

Bluebonnet Nutrition is a family-run, independent company similar to the independent natural product retailers we serve. The members of the Barrows family and the extended Bluebonnet family have been actively involved in the natural products industry for decades with the same business virtue of naturalness, purity, innovation, accessibility, integrity, loyalty and quality. We are driven by our close relationships with natural product retailers, who have knowledgeable staff to lead health-conscious consumers to those products that will specifically address their individual nutritional needs and health concerns. No other retail outlet can provide that level of service and expertise.

An Award-Winning Company

Over the last few years, Bluebonnet Nutrition was awarded Manufacturer of the Year by Vitamin Retailer Magazine in 2006 and most recently selected in 2009 as one of the top two supplement lines to receive the Natural Choice Award from WholeFoods Magazine. Plus, Bluebonnet was awarded the 2009 Best of Supplements Award from Better Nutrition under the heart health category for our CellularActive® CoQ10 Ubiquinol products, and in 2010, was given the Best of Supplements Award from Better Nutrition under the joint & arthritis category for our Glucosamine Chondroitin Plus MSM products. Although the honor bestowed to us these three times was unexpected and enormously appreciated, the effort acknowledged by these awards was calculated and deliberate. Whether it’s selecting the best ingredients the Earth has to offer, or developing pure and unique, cutting-edge formulas based on science, or manufacturing and packaging to the highest eco-friendly and quality standards, or instituting “green” practices throughout our entire operations, or distributing to only natural food retailers, Bluebonnet Nutrition takes pride in every step of the process to guarantee that we deliver the most pure, potent, highquality natural nutritional supplements available with as little impact on the environment as possible.

Key Markets Served

Available exclusively at natural food stores nationwide and in select international markets

A Broad and Diverse Product Line

Bluebonnet offers a complete line of natural vitamins, minerals, multiples, amino acids, proteins, herbal extracts and specialty supplements, such as antioxidants, glucosamine, omega fatty acids, fiber/digestive aids including enzymes and probiotics, and food supplements, as well as a unique array of specialty formulas targeted to address specific structure/function applications in the body. All made without unnecessary colors, flavors, fillers, binders or excipients in a delivery system that suits individual lifestyles: caplets, minicaplets, softgels, chewables, liquids, powders, vegetarian capsules (Vcaps®) and liquid vegetarian capsules (Licaps®).

Major Products/ Service Offerings

• Offer KOF-K kosher-certified products

• Introduced some of the industry’s most revolutionary products/formulas [e.g., CellularActive® CoQ10 Ubiquinol, Vegetarian SOD (GliSODin®), Trimology Licorice Flavonoid Oil (Glavonoid®), Targeted Multiples™, Super Earth® line of whole food-based supplements, etc.)

• Provide vegetarian/vegan products that are truly vegetarian from inside out by exclusively using two types of vegetarian capsules (Vcaps and Licaps) instead of animal-based gelatin capsules that are just as important as the natural ingredients they protect.

• Apply an aqueous-based vegetable coating to all caplets instead of the common practice of using shellac

• Produce dairy-based products that are free of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH)

• Never include artificial colors/sweeteners

• Incorporate NON-GMO ingredients when available

• Utilize a water-based sterilization method instead of the common practice of irradiation or ethylene oxide

• Only use natural excipients when absolutely necessary to improve the manufacturing process

• Not only manufacture in our own environmentally-friendly, state-of-the-art facility but use alternative energy sources (e.g., wind and solar) to reduce our carbon footprint

• Package our products in recyclable amber glass bottles to better protect nutrients from heat, light and moisture and the environment

• Implement a company-wide recycling program, as well as use only recyclable packing materials/paper and eco-friendly soybased inks on all printed material

What’s New?

Depending on their specific sport, athletes look to optimize performance attributes like power, speed, strength, repair, flexibility, agility, balance and coordination. So providing consumers with clean and effective sports nutrition products is the first step. In fact, Bluebonnet’s New Sports Nutrition line packs a clean and pure punch providing all of the right nutrients at the right potencies and in the right dosage forms so that athletes can consistently achieve a competitive advantage.

Bluebonnet Nutrition Corporation
12915 Dairy Ashford
Sugar Land, TX 77478
Tel.: (800)580-8866 (toll-free), (281)240-3332 (local)
Fax: (281)240-3535
www.bluebonnetnutrition.com
 

Key Executives
R.L. Barrows, Chief Financial Officer
Gary Barrows, President
Steve Barrows, VP Production/Distribution
Bob Barrows, VP Sales/Marketing
Joyce Barrows, Secretary/Treasurer

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, November 2010