Natural Sources

Will Righeimer, CEO of Hyland’s Naturals, takes a look at what’s ahead for the company

Drug Store News recently spoke with Hyland’s Naturals CEO, Will Righeimer, about what is happening at the company now and what’s ahead. Righeimer, who joined Hyland’s Naturals in March 2021, previously served as President and Global General Manager at Mars Inc., where he oversaw the global health and wellness division.

Drug Store News: The 2022-2023 cold and cough season was surprising to everyone. How did Hyland’s Naturals respond?

Will Righeimer: This last cold and cough season was certainly above average, largely due to the “tripledemic” that swept across the country. In 2022, though, we completely transformed our supply chain process to become the supplier of choice for our retail partners. I’m extremely proud to say that our team was able to ship all customers 100% on time and in full during this unpredictable cold and cough season. To do that, we invested significantly in more raw material supplies and completed our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. The new facility has multiple high-speed production lines that enabled us to meet demand this season and triples our future capacity.

DSN: We understand preventative options are a focus for Hyland’s Naturals going forward; what can you tell us about that?

WR: I think the pandemic and this resultant rampant cold and cough season have many of us looking at our health more proactively and year round. Consumers want solutions that help them feel better quickly and they are also asking what they can do to stay healthier overall.

Hyland’s Naturals is the trusted brand with the #1 natural pediatric cold and cough products and it continues to be the #1 category leader in leg cramp and earache solutions. We’re seeing significant interest in our newer VMS products, like our Hyland’s Naturals Organic Elderberry Plus Gummies and Hyland’s Naturals Cough & Immune Syrup made with 99% organic ingredients. This year alone we expect to launch more than 15 new and uniquely formulated VMS product offerings, from pediatric wellness to women’s health. We’re especially excited to expand our cough and cold business to provide babies & kids with even more options such as our new USDA Certified Organic Chest Rubs and USDA Certified Organic Cough Syrups with additional sleep and immunity support. Hyland’s Naturals has been helping families for a long time and we see this product line expansion as the next natural step for our business.

DSN: What are consumers looking for in their wellness products?

WR: Today’s consumers are looking for products that are not just made with high quality natural active ingredients, but they also want these products to be free of artificial sugar, flavor, color, etc. Hyland’s Naturals products meet these consumer demands for better-for-you alternatives while helping to provide natural relief users. We’ve been focused on staying true to our brand and what it means for consumers with our new products—to empower families to live healthier and happier lives with unique formulations using safe and effective natural ingredients. dsn