From my experience with Hemp Well, it’s always challenging to build a brand while never cutting corners. Actually building a brand is quite a costly process; probably why many cut those corners. For Hemp Well, we never cut when it comes to our foundation; a foundation made up of our products and our retailers.
Yes, we’ve always offered organic products that included a 3rd party or a verified testing source. Our records are transparent and audited. With that said, often we find competitors using filler oils or CBD from Asia or some other ingredient scheme that lacks a chain of custody at some point – not a minor point today. I’m a big fan of the compliant tracking of ingredients. For us, those are not the corners we cut.
Similarly, we have worked with the National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) since inception and attest monthly our products and events to the FDA. We also believe, contrary to many, that AAFCO (state feed regulators) and the FDA to do a great job with guidance. Many of our competitors’ CBD products will get pulled from distribution and store shelves over the important things like the listing of wrong ingredients to even the more minor things like the wrong stacking order on a supplement bottle. When I look at a competitor’s labeling I often notice improper product warnings, dosage instructions, and the worst – CANCER FREE claims. In addition, we’re a big fan in the involuntarily reporting of pet health information to the FDA. Why not, if it’s good for our consumer it will be good for our industry.
As I explained, building a brand is costly. Like many others, our company’s margins are never where they should be. I am confident our wager on a quality product and quality distribution will pay off in this crazy market. It has already shifted our competitors towards more natural and organic sources. In the meantime it’s also important to understand that Hemp Well does a great job at keeping things simple. Simple in a way that is beneficial to a pet’s health and to all of our bottom lines.