Founded in 1991, Barrington Nutritionals distributes high-quality, science-backed ingredients to the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and functional food and beverage industries. With a commitment to quality, innovation, and personalized service, Barrington is on a mission to help its customers create products that support human health and wellness demands.
Stu Gelbard is the founder and president of Barrington Nutritionals, who started the company in March 1991from his basement without external capital. He had only two employees and a vision to build a company grounded in trusted partnerships, technical expertise and exceptional customer service. The company started with seven supplier partnerships and today has a network of more than 40 global partners. Over the last 35 years, Barrington has expanded to 30 employees across five offices in New York, Wisconsin, California, Utah and Missouri. Gelbard resides in New York with his wife of 38 years. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors and spending time on the lake in the Berkshires with his daughter, son and two grandchildren.
NIE: 2026 marks Barrington Nutritionals’ 35th Anniversary. What are the company’s plans moving forward?
Gelbard: As we celebrate 35 years in the industry, our focus is on building upon the strong foundation that has defined Barrington Nutritionals since day one—trusted partnerships, technical expertise and a commitment to quality and personalized service. Moving forward, we are investing in expanding our supplier network to bring forward ingredients that align with market demands across dietary supplements, functional foods, cosmetics and OTC (over-the-counter) applications.
We also see a significant opportunity in supporting our customers beyond ingredient supply which includes formulation guidance, market insights and faster service. As the industry continues to grow, our role is to help bridge innovation with execution, ensuring manufacturers can bring differentiated, high-quality products to market.
NIE: The company has partnered with a number of charitable organizations. How does Barrington Nutritionals choose the organizations it works with and why is so important to the company?
Gelbard: We have always been a relationship-driven company and that extends beyond business. When selecting charitable partners, we prioritize organizations that are making an impact in the communities where we live and work, particularly those focused on supporting children and families.
It is important to us that our contributions go beyond financial support. We look for opportunities where our team can engage directly, whether through volunteering or local initiatives. In 2025, the company started Barrington Helping Hands, a charitable initiative focused on supporting children and families in local communities where Barrington operates.
Beyond our local initiatives, Barrington is committed to making a global impact each year. In 2025, our team partnered in a hands-on initiative supporting families in Mexico, building bookshelves, creating handmade pillows, and providing books to help enrich children’s classrooms and learning environments.
Giving back is a core part of our culture. We believe that success as a company comes with a responsibility to create meaningful impact in the communities we serve, both locally and globally.
NIE: Barrington Nutritionals has a diverse portfolio of ingredients. Talk about some of the company’s stand-out ingredients.
Gelbard: Our portfolio is built around best-in-class partners and ingredients that deliver both quality and market relevance. We are proud to work with leading global suppliers such as ICL, GC Rieber, Gadot, J.M. Huber Corp., TriNutra and more whose expertise and innovation help us bring differentiated solutions to our customers.
In omega-3s, our partnership with GC Rieber enables us to offer both fish- and algae-based solutions supporting everything from cost-effective formulations to premium, sustainable positioning. In the mineral space, collaborations with partners such as ICL and Gadot allow us to deliver highly functional, bioavailable ingredients that align with growing demand in hydration, active nutrition and overall wellness. Through collaborating with J.M. Huber Corp., we offer premium calcium carbonate solutions that support optimized performance, improved processing, and greater formulation flexibility across diverse applications. Additionally, our partnership with TriNutra brings ThymoQuin, a clinically studied black seed oil ingredient into the portfolio supporting innovation in areas like stress, metabolic health, cortisol support and overall wellness.
What differentiates our portfolio is not just the ingredients themselves, but the depth of our supplier relationships and our ability to guide customers toward the right solution for their specific application.
NIE: In 2025, the company launched Barrington Helping Hands. Why did the company decide to launch the program, and what are the goals of the initiative?
Gelbard: Barrington Helping Hands was created as a formal extension of something that has always been part of our DNA which is supporting our communities. As the company has grown, we saw an opportunity to create a more structured initiative that allows us to expand our impact and engage our team in a meaningful way.
The program is focused on supporting children and families through partnerships with local organizations, fundraising efforts and volunteer initiatives. Our goal is to create lasting relationships with the organizations we support and to make a measurable difference over time.
