NON-DURABLE NOW HEALTH GROUP INC. www.nowfoods.com / Headquarters: Bloomingdale, Ill. / Employees: 1,400 / Specialty: Manufacturer of health foods, supplements, sports nutrition and personal care products / Dan Richard, national sales director: We are a one-stop shop for a lot of retailers. NOW Health Group is a top-selling brand in health food stores and an award-winning manufacturer. Natural Growth NOW Health Group expands its business of emphasizing healthy living, good nutrition and empowering people to lead healthier lives. BY BOB RAKOW NOW Health Group got its start more than 45 years ago as a sideline to the founding family s soy products business. But Elwood Richard and his brothers, Louis and Bill, never expected to be major players in the natural products market. NOW easily fits that description today as a top-selling brand in health food stores and an award-winning manufacturer. The company is dedicated to providing customers with a comprehensive approach to wellness by offering more than 1400 high-quality natural and affordable products, from nutrient-rich foods and supplements to personal care and sports nutrition items. NOW products are sold throughout the United States and 65 other countries. We are a one-stop shop for a lot of retailers, says Dan Richard, national 84 www.wdimagazine.com Summer 2015
sales director. Our target customers are health-conscious individuals. That market is growing as more people place an emphasis on good nutrition, fitness and overall wellness. The company was not initially a retail supplier. Instead, the Richard family opened a health food store, Health House, in 1962, and NOW Foods was created six years later as the store s in-house brand. The store was renamed Fruitful Yield in 1971, and there are currently 12 Fruitful Yield stores located in Chicago s suburbs with plans to expand. NOW Health Group s growth into a major manufacturer and distributor began when the company reached out to other local health food stores that were interested in selling natural foods and vitamins. Today, natural and health food products have found their way into the mainstream. Dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA in terms of raw materials being used and manufacturing processes, and by the Federal Trade Commission for health claims that can be made on the labels and bottles. // Horphag Research (USA), Inc. // Pycnogenol (pic-noj-en-all) is a proprietary and patented antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree included in more than 700 dietary supplements, multi-vitamins, cosmetic and functional food and beverage products worldwide. The botanical extract is found to contain a unique combination of procyanidins, bioflavonoids and organic acids, which offer extensive natural health benefits. Published findings in more than 130 clinical studies of over 10,000 patients have demonstrated Pycnogenol s beneficial health benefits in cardiovascular and circulatory health, joint health, skin care, blood glucose, cognitive function and sports nutrition, among others. Horphag Research (USA), Inc. is the exclusive North American supplier of Pycnogenol and works with hundreds of companies to help them develop innovative and effective Pycnogenol product formulas. The company mission remains deeply rooted in a commitment to scientific research surrounding high-quality nutritional ingredients and this is reflected in the quality of products offered to customers. For more information visit www.pycnogenol.com. NOW Health Group goes above and beyond what is required. This includes the utilization of current, cutting-edge science in the formulation of its products, strict scrutiny when choosing raw materials, advanced in-house testing, validated methods development and the employment of skilled, highly trained individuals. Quality of our products is paramount to what we do, says Aaron Secrist, director of R&D and quality. Everyone from the housekeeper on third shift to our // Ethical Naturals Inc. (ENI) // xeni is a supplier of GreenGrown Glucosamine, the leading brand of USP grade vegetable source glucosamine to the supplement market. In today s crowded joint care market, GreenGrown provides a value-added alternative which caters to the growing market for vegan and vegetarian products. At a time when quality concerns are of ever-greater importance in the supplement industry, ENI offers a full range of botanical extracts and proprietary ingredients, through a QA program that is GMP Certified through NSF. For more information, call 866-459-4454, or email us at info@ethicalnaturals.com. 86 www.wdimagazine.com Summer 2015
double that figure in three years. The new facility was built to serve growing demand on the West Coast, and COO Ron Pillsbury explains it is better situated for the company s export business. The 160,000-square-foot building in Nevada is a green facility that supports environmental and sustainability initiatives and is LEED certified. The company offers more than 1,400 high-quality natural and affordable products. machine operators focuses on providing our customers the best quality product in the market place today. NOW Health Group operates manufacturing facilities in Bloomingdale, Ill., and Guelph, Ontario. A third manufacturing and distribution center recently opened in Sparks, Nev. The company does about 20 percent of its production at the Sparks facility, including softgels, but hopes to // Bioenergy Life Science, Inc. // Bioenergy Life Science, Inc. (BLS) is the maker of Bioenergy Ribose, a five-carbon carbohydrate that regulates the body s natural process of energy synthesis. Ribose helps accelerate energy recovery, reduce muscle stiffness and provide greater endurance. Bioenergy Ribose is an all-natural functional ingredient with well over 100 clinical studies documenting its benefits. Bioenergy Ribose is the only branded and patented form of Ribose on the market and its safety is evidenced by its GRAS status (including a no questions letter from the FDA). It is already popular in a wide array of beverages and supplements and is quickly gaining the attention of food manufacturers due to its health benefits and energy functions. BLS is a proud partner of NOW Sports, a division of NOW Foods, working together to promote the benefits of D-Ribose. Summer 2015 www.wdimagazine.com 87
The building s green features include energy-efficient lighting systems, water-efficient utilities and various recycling stations for employees to use. manufacturing facilities and its corporate office. The company introduces about 60 new products each year. We have a rich pipeline of new products, Richard says. The quality of our products is paramount to what we do. Dan Richard NOW Health Group also owns Puresource, a distributor and manufacturer of natural wellness products in Canada. Puresource supplies more than 150 brands, representing more than 4,000 products, primarily to independent Canadian health food stores as well as some grocery and drug store chains. Today, NOW Health Group employs approximately 1,400 people at its three It does not sell to mass-market retailers such as Walmart or Walgreens. Instead, its lines can be found in health food stores throughout the country. We want to stay true to our roots, Richard says. NOW Health Group is widely recognized for its commitment to quality and making good nutrition affordable and still adheres to its original mission: to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. NOW Health Group continues to be owned by the Richard family. Elwood Richard remains on the board of directors with his daughter, Sharon Wong, and son, Dan, who is NOW s 88 www.wdimagazine.com Summer 2015
NOW Health Group products can be found in health food stores throughout the country. national sales director. Mike Richard also is in senior management as the supply chain director. Family ownership is a key to NOW s Heatlh Group s success, Pillsbury explains. It provides long-term stability and the belief in doing what s right. That s essential to our core values. Those values are people, position, focus, heart and commitment. The company takes those values seriously and has been recognized in the industry as a result. For example, the National Association of Business Resources has selected NOW Health Group for the past seven consecutive years as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in the Chicago area, and the last two years the company was recognized nationally. The annual competition honors companies that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to their employees, as reported by those employees, and exemplify the best human resource practices. NOW Health Group believes in good health through natural products, education and sound science. Its commitment to a natural lifestyle is the underpinning of its focus on producing quality natural products that allow people to lead healthier lives, which the company is well-positioned to make good on for many years to come, Pillsbury says. q The company s mission is to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. Summer 2015 www.wdimagazine.com 89