American River Nutrition Begins Construction in Hadley

HADLEY — Westmass Area Development Corp. announced that American River Nutrition, founded by former UMass Amherst Professor of Food Science and Nutrition Barrie Tan, has begun construction of a 25,000-square-foot office and manufacturing building at the Hadley University Business Park. With the coordinated permitting efforts of the Hadley Planning Board and Conservation Commission, construction is able to commence.

American River Nutrition manufactures vitamin E, a dietary supplement, from plant material through a proprietary distillation process that produces no toxic or harmful byproducts. Its vitamin E product is known as DeltaGold. The company is also involved in research that may lead to the introduction of pharmaceutical versions of its products. The company was launched in 1998 in Hadley in response to the market need for innovative products that are natural, have little to no known side effects, and positively affect conditions associated with age-related and/or degenerative disease states.

Many people take vitamin E in the rapidly-growing vitamin and supplement industry in hopes that the vitamin’s antioxidant properties will help to prevent diseases and build a strong immune system. American River Nutrition has also recently qualified its vitamin E product as a food supplement, opening new avenues for this growing company. American River Nutrition currently employs nine people, and, according to Tan, up to 20 people will be employed when the company opens its new manufacturing operation later this year on its 16-acre site at Hadley University Business Park.

“We are happy to be able to bring our manufacturing operations to Hadley, where our home office has been located since we began the company,” said Tan. “And we look forward to a continuing role as a strong member of the local business community.”

According to Westmass President Kenn Delude, “Westmass is pleased to make this announcement today. We believe that American River Nutrition is on an exceptional growth track and is exactly the type of innovative company that our region needs to support and retain. It is the combination of the quality job growth that the company offers coupled with the extraordinary focus and purpose of their efforts to promote good health that makes Westmass proud they chose the Hadley University Business Park for their new facility.”

Delude said one site remains available for new development in the Hadley Park. The remaining site can accommodate a 20,000- to 25,000-square-foot building on a 3.5-acre, developable parcel. Westmass is seeking interested businesses for that parcel. In addition to Hadley University Business Park, Westmass is developing available business sites at Chicopee River Business Park, Deer Park Industrial Center in East Longmeadow, and its latest development at the Ludlow Mills.