Herbalist & Alchemist expands extraction capacity with new facility
“As our business of providing the highest quality herbal products continued to thrive and demand outpaced supply, it was clear we had outgrown our current space,” said Beth Lambert, Herbalist & Alchemist CEO.
The refurbished warehouse in Washington, NJ is nearly triple the size and only a mile from the former facility, with dedicated space for each operational area, whether garbling, grinding, calcining or equipment wash down.
Making room for Bio-Specific extraction
The company explained that its trademarked Bio-Specific formulation process requires more space than usual because of its labor-intensive nature, particularly since different herbs require various process to maintain the bioactive qualities of a vital extract.
Herbs like skullcap, echinacea and cleavers are extracted fresh, while bitter, pungent or acrid herbs are first dried, and yet others like astragalus are simmered before adding alcohol. The herbalists also need room to sort through all fresh plant deliveries by hand to remove unwanted agricultural materials and for calcinating residues to include essential minerals for the full spectrum of plant nutrients.
The move doubles production capacity for the company’s Solid Extract line, which it describes as “a somewhat rare dosage form with distinct processing challenges that are uncommon because of the labor, cost, and amount of materials required to produce this super-concentrated, nutrient-rich form.”
Lambert told NutraIngredients-USA that continued growth in demand has occurred across categories, particularly in the practitioner market loyal to the formulations of Herbal & Alchemist founder David Winston.
“Categories with higher than market growth include stress, immune, lung support, our entire children’s line, cardiovascular support, adaptogens, physical discomfort, nootropics and the new bitters formulas,” she said. “And we can’t keep Hawthorn Solid in stock, which is why we have an entire new room to produce more of it.”
The new facility also has classroom space for David Winston’s Center for Herbal Studies herbalist training program and other educational events.
Moving green
As the first herbal supplement company to become B Corp certified in 2010, moving came with a series of sustainability considerations.
“While we were overjoyed to start our new adventure, the idea of moving in the traditional way was daunting from a low-waste perspective,” the company said. “As a B Corp, we are strongly concerned with how our decisions affect our environment and community. As such, we made it a priority to conquer the move in the most sustainable and local way possible.”
Herbal & Alchemist used reusable moving blankets instead of single-use packing materials and rented crates in lieu of cardboard boxes. Cardboard sheet and cellulose wrap used will be repurposed to pack customer orders, and plastic pallet wrap will be upcycled into park benches and decking locally.
