From Brooklyn Factory to Walmart: The Three-Generation Journey Behind NPI’s Distribution Platform

Mitch Gould, founder and CEO of Nutritional Products International (NPI), has built what he calls a ‘turnkey platform’ for global health and wellness brands to enter the American marketplace, but the roots of his success trace back three generations to a Brooklyn factory and a showroom in the Empire State Building. Gould’s grandfather owned a factory in Brooklyn and maintained a showroom in the Empire State Building, doing business in an era of hustle and handshakes. His father, Jerry Gould, expanded into manufacturing and distribution, deepening the family’s retail trade roots.

‘I grew up seeing what it meant to build something real,’ Gould said in a statement. ‘My grandfather owned a factory in Brooklyn and had a showroom in the Empire State Building – that was his world. My father Jerry took that same spirit into manufacturing and distribution. By the time I was in middle school, I already understood that retail wasn’t just a business – it was a legacy.’

Gould entered the retail industry in 1986, aided by a pivotal relationship with mentor R.D. Wells, who connected him with Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank during the early days of Home Depot’s national expansion. That experience, combined with family legacy, set the stage for a career representing major consumer brands like Igloo, Rubbermaid, Sunbeam, and Miracle-Gro, as well as celebrity lines including Steven Seagal’s Lightning Bolt Energy Drink and Hulk Hogan’s Hogan Nutrition. He secured placements at retailers including Walmart, Costco, GNC, CVS, Walgreens, and Amazon.

A notable early achievement was his partnership with Amazon. At a time when the e-commerce giant was known as an online bookstore, Gould recognized the potential for selling nutritional supplements online. Working with Amazon’s buyers, he helped build the sports nutrition and health products category from concept to inception, growing it to more than $100 million in sales. That experience became a foundational inspiration for the Evolution of Distribution platform.

In 2007, Gould founded NPI and created the Evolution of Distribution, a platform integrating FDA compliance, global logistics, retail introductions, sales, and marketing. The platform compresses what once took global brands 18 to 24 months into a streamlined market entry. ‘The Evolution of Distribution is really the natural next chapter of what my family has always done,’ Gould said. ‘My grandfather manufactured it in Brooklyn and showcased it to the world from the Empire State Building. My father Jerry distributed it. And I built the system that does all of it at once – at scale, for brands all over the world.’

Gould’s story is chronicled in his memoir, The Blonde, the Ferrari, and the Kwan: The Quintessential American Success Story, available on Amazon. Today, NPI stands as a trusted brand launch and distribution firm in the United States, working with manufacturers and major retailers to guide products from concept to shelf.

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