Court awards Ronnie Coleman Signature Series $15.4M after defective packaging from Western and Polyfirst nearly destroyed the brand. A major win for supplement industry quality control.
In a major victory for supplement industry quality control, RCBA Nutraceuticals, doing business as Ronnie Coleman Signature Series (RCSS), has been awarded over $15.4 million in damages following a lawsuit against packaging manufacturers who provided defective bags that caused widespread product failures.[1]
The judgment, issued in December 2024 by the Circuit Court of Seminole County, Florida,[1] found both Western Packaging and Polyfirst Packaging liable for damages that nearly destroyed the well-known supplement brand.
Background: The Rise of Ronnie Coleman Signature Series
Founded in 2011 by 8-time Mr. Olympia champion Ronnie Coleman and business partner Brendan Ahern, RCSS quickly established itself as a leader in the sports nutrition industry. Within its first year, the company secured distribution in over 3,000 GNC stores nationwide.
Ronnie Coleman, 8-time Mr. Olympia champion and RCSS founder, who built the company into a $15 million supplement brand before the 2018 packaging crisis
By 2016, RCSS had earned a solid reputation for premium supplements, with their King Mass XL product becoming their #1 selling weight gainer worldwide. The company was generating over $15 million in annual revenue and employed more than 15 people at their Lake Mary, Florida headquarters.
The RCSS Packaging Crisis Begins
According to court documents, in late 2016, RCSS began discussions with Western Packaging about moving their packaging production from China to the United States. Western’s president, Vince Slapa, allegedly claimed they had reverse-engineered RCSS’s existing bags and could create superior versions that would be:[2]
- Stronger
- Higher quality
- More durable
- Greater in thickness
- Fully tested before mass production
- Made in Western’s own facility
These claims proved to be false. Not only did Western lack the manufacturing capabilities they claimed, but they also secretly subcontracted the work to Polyfirst Packaging (later acquired by ProAmpac).
Internal Documents Revealed Major Problems
Court documents revealed that Polyfirst knew they were “playing a game of chance” with their manufacturing capabilities. By July 2017, they had identified a “Protein Powder Pouch Bursting issue” with known weak spots in the heat-seal areas. Despite this knowledge, they continued shipping defective bags to RCSS’s packagers.
Examples of RCSS products that experienced widespread packaging failures in 2018: Whey XS, Gainer XS, and King Mass XL. These products were packaged in defective bags manufactured by Western Packaging and Polyfirst Packaging, leading to structural failures and product loss that resulted in the $15.4 million lawsuit judgment.
2018: Widespread Product Failures
By April 2018, RCSS began receiving numerous complaints about failed packaging from customers and distributors worldwide. The defective bags were:[2]
- Structurally unfit
- Bursting at the seams
- Causing product leakage
- Leading to complete product loss
These failures affected multiple RCSS products, including King Mass XL, Whey XS, and Gainer XS.
Final judgment document from the Circuit Court of Seminole County, Florida, detailing the $15.4 million award to RCBA Nutraceuticals (Ronnie Coleman Signature Series) in their lawsuit against Western Packaging and Polyfirst Packaging, dated December 28, 2024
The Financial Impact
The packaging failures forced RCSS to do all of the following, leading to both financial losses and reputational harm:
- Pull products from the marketplace
- Issue customer refunds
- Increase workforce to handle complaints
- Delay production
- Redesign packaging
- Take on additional loans
- Send executives worldwide to maintain business relationships
- Offer significant discounts to retain customers
The Court’s Decision
After a trial ending in October 2024, the jury found both Western Packaging and Polyfirst Packaging at fault, splitting liability 50/50. The total damages awarded included:[2]
- $2.42 million in out-of-pocket losses
- $7.5 million in lost profits
- $500,000 in lost investor damages
- Additional damages for deceptive trade practices
The court found Western Packaging liable for fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, violation of Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and multiple breaches of warranty.
Implications for the Supplement Industry
This case highlights several critical issues for supplement brands, including the importance of thorough vetting of manufacturing partners. It showed the risks of changing established supply chains, and how packaging failures can impact a brand’s reputation. It also shows how much you need quality control throughout the entire supply chain once you get to such a large size.
RCSS: Recovery and Moving Forward
Despite the severe setbacks caused by this packaging crisis, RCSS has shown remarkable resilience, a testament to Coleman and Ahern’s resilience. They’ve since secured new packaging suppliers and we’re confident they’ll continue to be a major force in the supplement industry.
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