Wait … Everlast, the boxing brand? That is the Supplement Company of the Month for Bodybuilding.com?!
You got that right. Everlast has been associated with boxing and other sports for more than a century, but in recent years it has focused on leaving its mark on the sports nutrition industry. And it's making an impact quickly.
The Proline products have become popular, and for good reason. Whether it's multi-protein blend Hyperplex or pre-workout formula N.O. Nitrofuse or anything else Everlast releases, the products are backed by research and deliver results to loyal customers. The Everlast name has been synonymous with some of the greatest athletes and sports ever. When that name is placed on a product, nothing short of high-grade quality would be expected.
Norm Stafford, Chief Operating Officer for Everlast Sports Nutrition spoke with Bodybuilding.com about why Everlast chose to get involved with the supplement industry, and how its customers responded to the change.
Can you please tell our readers how Everlast started?
For more than 100 years, Everlast has been supporting athletes and competitors at all levels, from world champions to dedicated athletes and fitness enthusiasts. Over the years, Everlast continually expanded its expertise beyond the boxing ring and now offers sports equipment and apparel for almost every athletic activity.
In 2007, Inventages, one of the world's largest nutrition and wellness focused venture capital funds saw an opportunity to bring together the world renowned Everlast name with a team of nutrition industry veterans to create a science-based sports nutrition brand - Everlast Sports Nutrition.
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What made Everlast decide it should start its own supplement company?
Athletes have always trusted Everlast to provide the highest quality equipment and apparel for the outside of their bodies. It seemed like a natural extension that we should also provide the highest quality nutrition for the inside of your body.
Can you tell us about some important people who helped Everlast succeed in the beginning?
That's a tough question because there have been so many people who have gone out of their way to help us. Certainly we wouldn't be where we are today without the foresight of our investors, the dedication of our advisors and the opportunity given to us by our retail partners.
Critically important is the commitment and hard work of the members of our Everlast Sports Nutrition Panel who work tirelessly with our nutritionists, product formulators and medical advisors to develop, test and market the best products possible bearing the Everlast name. They ensure that everything we do is backed by solid science, is efficacious and tastes great.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself and your background in the industry?
Our team is comprised of experienced nutrition and beverage category veterans who have worked at some of the leading companies in the industry including Nestle, Coca-Cola, NBTY and Atkins, to name a few. Rick Parano, our CEO, is a beverage category expert with more than 30 years in the business. Among my experience is seven years at Atkins as SVP of Operations and Supply Chain during the period when we increased sales from $3 million to more than $700 million.
What are some of Everlast Sports Nutrition's top products right now?
Our HyperPlex Multi-Protein Complex is leading the pack with growing sales in all channels. What's really nice about it is that it combines a blend of six different proteins which provide a sustained release action and then we've also included the patented Aminogen digestive enzyme matrix which helps the body more completely breakdown the protein into bio-available amino acids.
Our N.O. NitroFuse Pre-Workout drink mix is right up there with the HyperPlex Protein Powders. N.O. NitroFuse is the only pre-workout on the market to contain four different creatines along with D-Ribose, Calcium Pyruvate, Beta-Alanine, Zanthoxylum Americanum, L-Arginine, Dimethyl Glycine, B-Complex vitamins and our proprietary ProZorb digestion and absorption enhancement complex.
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Of course, I shouldn't leave out our Everlast Energy capsules, Recovery powdered drink mix, and the very popular all natural Everlast Energy Bars. What we've shown is that while we will always produce the highest quality products possible, we also concentrate on having the best tasting products on the market. Why make a product if you wouldn't take it yourself?
Are there any new and exciting products that Everlast is coming out with soon?
Without tipping our hand, I can tell you that we're always working on new products. We have several lines and flavor extensions ready for the new year. We're also really excited about several new products we're set to launch in what will be new sports nutrition categories for us.
Is there any other big news about Everlast that you would like to share with us?
We're excited to announce that as of this month we are supplying our all natural Everlast Energy bars to the USO in support of our troops overseas. It's wonderful to be able to support an organization that does such great work in support of our men and women in the military.
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Who are Everlast's sponsored athletes, and how have they impacted the company as a whole?
The Everlast brand sponsors more than 75 athletes around the globe including the newly signed Reggie Bush and Cara Castronuova. Everlast Sports Nutrition is exploring opportunities to leverage these relationships and continues to search for talent at both the professional and amateur levels. You can share your story on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/everlastsportsnutritionproline or email us at info@evernutrition.com.
Let's say a customer comes to you who is just starting out and can only afford one product. Which one do you recommend and why?
That would depend on what that particular individual was trying to accomplish. If they're looking to build muscle, I'd recommend our HyperPlex Multi-Protein powders. If they're trying to get more out of each workout, I'd tell them to try our N.O. NitroFuse Pre-Workout drink mix, Everlast Energy capsules and Recovery After-Workout stick packs. For an everyday healthy snack I'd advise them to try our all natural Everlast Energy Bars.
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What do you believe are the best and worst things about the supplement industry?
I think the science based research and innovation in the industry is really compelling. Never before has the consumer had so much nutritional, biological and functional information at their disposal from which to make educated decisions regarding their fitness regimen.
An educated consumer is the supplement industry's best protection against what I believe is the worst thing in our industry; the few companies which resort to false promises, deception and exaggerated claims to sell their products. Everlast has spent more than 100 years building consumers' trust and we try to honor that trust with the products we produce.
Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers, or anyone you would like to thank?
We'd certainly like to thank our loyal customers as well as Bodybuilding.com. You've helped us build a strong base from which we can continue to build and sustain the momentum we've achieved in such a short amount of time.
Remember to visit us at EverlastSportsNutrition.com and on Facebook for the latest information and product updates.