When Nutrex Research launched in 2002, it wasn’t just starting a sports nutrition company, it was setting the tone for how innovation, science, and purpose could redefine performance nutrition. Co-founder Jens Ingenohl, originally from Germany, brought nearly a decade of industry experience with him to the U.S., having previously founded BMS, one of Germany’s leading supplement brands.
In Florida, he founded Nutrex Research, a company driven by his passion for helping athletes achieve real results. “I have written several books on the subject of nutrition, training and natural steroid alternatives,” said Ingenohl, President and CEO of Nutrex Research. “I have a vast knowledge about diet, resistance training and supplementation. I have also worked with countless athletes over the last 30 years, and I have always kept myself in shape by living the fitness lifestyle.”
Built in Florida, Formulated for the World
Today, Nutrex products are available in more than 100 countries, including across North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In South Korea, Nutrex is thriving, introducing 11 New SKUs this year with Coupang.
Ozzie Del Valle, International Sales and Business Development Manager at Nutrex, attributes the success to the Coupang team. “I have been working in international markets for 25 years, and every time you try to bring a very different business model to another culture, it crashes,” he said. “I was very lucky that Coupang opened its doors and said, ‘This is how it works, this is how the Korean consumer thinks.’ And every time I listen, I win.”
Today, Nutrex’s bestsellers in Korea include LIPO-6 and IsoFit Protein, both adapted to fit evolving compliance laws in Korea.
Attention to quality and insistence on the best ingredients is Nutrex’s hallmark. “We rigorously make sure every batch is tested, verified, and documented,” said Ingenohl. “We follow strict FDA and cGMP guidelines because quality isn’t a goal – it’s our Golden Rule.”
Headquartered in Oviedo, Florida, Nutrex has an 80,000-square-foot facility that includes a warehouse and distribution center, gymnasium, and operations to develop and distribute its high-quality supplements globally.
From Game-Changers to Industry Standards
Nutrex has earned a reputation for bold innovation. OUTLIFT was the industry’s first clinically dosed pre-workout formula, and the LIPO-6 fat burner introduced liquid-cap technology.
The company’s early success came from Ingenohl’s laser focus on what would become LIPO-6, which is still a worldwide favorite after 20 years. “Our owner came out with a group of ingredients that he believed would take the weight loss category to the next level, and that’s exactly what he did,” Valle said. “He came out with a formula that today is the standard for fat burners in our industry.”
“He is the president, but he is also the formulator, and he never cuts corners,” Del Valle said. “We use only the best ingredients.” That ethic of quality, paired with a founder who is “the first one to come in and the last one to leave,” has helped Nutrex sustain more than 20 years in a competitive and ever-changing industry.
A Strategic Alliance with Coupang
Nutrex’s entry into the Korean market began with just a few products. But when Del Valle, long an admirer of Nutrex, joined the company, that began to change. Del Valle’s past work with Coupang led him to focus on Korea and Coupang. “All the buyers are great, they’re supportive, they hold me by the hand,” he said, “and tell me, you should move here and here.”
That includes the introduction of new SKUs this year tailored to Korean preferences and regulations. Coupang’s communication makes the difference, he said. “If there’s an issue, there’s always a quick solution. Coupang is always concerned about how we’re doing, and it’s a win-win relationship. I love the team.”
The result has been not only compliance but measurable success. “Every time we do our quarterly reviews, Coupang is my golden one because there’s always massive growth, it’s always all positive,” Del Valle said. “It’s all about partnership. The return is incredible and we’re going to be closing the year with triple-digit growth.”
Precision, Passion, and No Shortcuts
Nutrex’s edgy, fast-paced style drives sales and makes fans of its own employees, like Del Valle who studied it and decided to leap aboard. The company is determined to stay on the cutting edge of science and performance as it grows its legacy. And with its Coupang partnership and accelerating growth in Korea, another chapter begins.
