Russell Saks always looked for entrepreneurial experiences at a young age, but never expected to run his own company in Port Washington by the time he was 22. It all started when he was a sophomore at Indiana University and he and his fraternity brothers blew their budgets buying vitamins, protein powder and other supplements for their newfound love of working out. Saks realized that there must be a better way for them to get their supplements at a lower price. He and his good friend Mike Yewdell, who also attended Indiana, decided to contact a wholesale distributor and buy some supplements in bulk. Within a week, they had sold the entire order. That was when Saks knew he had a new business on his hands, and Campusprotein.com was born. He continued to sell to students on campus and then with the help of Tarun Singh, his best friend from Schreiber High School (both graduated in 2008), they branched out to Boston University, where Singh attended.
In Saks’ senior year, he entered a start up business competition at Indiana University. He won first place and was funded by other Indiana business alumni as well as the school and was able to create a more serious business model for campusprotein.com. Singh also won a business competition at Boston University and, with that extra funding, they were off and running.
Campusprotein.com was launched in 2010 and moved to Port Washington in 2012. The company consists of Saks, who is CEO, Yewdell, who is Chief Strategy Officer, and Singh, who is Chief Marketing Officer. They now have 700 sales representatives selling supplements at 500 campuses. In the last 12 months, they have seen growth of 350%. “It’s a dream for us .We’re building something we’re really passionate about, we’re helping people transform their bodies and I get to work with my best friends,” said Saks.
What made campusprotein.com different from other supplement distribution companies was that they had immediate delivery, sometimes even that same day. They did this by renting out warehouse space near the campus. But as they grew to many campuses across the country, it became financially and physically impossible to continue this speedy delivery. They continue to have one warehouse, at their flagship campus of Indiana University. Students ordering at other universities receive expedited shipping and a flat shipping rate no matter the weight of the order. This helps many students and their friends order in bulk.
The company has become so successful that it has also started its own line of supplements geared towards college kids. Their success has allowed them to live their dream of residing in the city while setting up their office on Main Street in Port Washington with a gorgeous view of Manhassett Bay. Saks was excited to bring a new business to Port, the place where he moved when he was 6 years old. “I always loved Port..It always felt like home to me,” he said. Without much discussion or hesitation, Saks knew that Port would make a great headquarters. As for future goals, Saks said “we see ourselves as the main distributor and place for college students to come for not only their supplements but for advice, motivation and experience.”
