A highly respected consumer magazine has taken notice of our eSpring water filtration system.

The August 2009 issue of Consumers Digest magazine names Amway’s eSpring a “Best Buy” for its innovative technology and long filtration life.

eSpring even sparked new innovations in our labs—quite literally—when it led us to discover a new method for conducting wireless power transfer. Our eCoupled technology used in eSpring allows charging for handheld mobile devices, computers and more — without wires.

Wireless technologies, bacteria-free drinking water… not what you expected from Amway, right?

Editor’s Note:  This post was originally published on the Interns Expose Amway blog.

I’ve learned one thing that makes Amway such a great company is its history. If there is one person that knows about Amway’s history and who is king of taking people behind the scenes at Amway, it’s John Faye.

In this segment, I meet John, Visitor Services Coordinator at the world headquarters in Ada, Michigan. I attempt to walk in the footsteps (literally) of someone who has seen Amway from it’s beginnings, inside and out (literally), for 36 years!

A few cool things about John:

• John’s parents and grandparents were Independent Business Owners at Amway
• L.O.C. is John’s favorite product for removing stains
• One of his favorite tours was with some Japanese sumo wrestlers
• The year the company was founded, the Christmas dinner was hosted at John’s house

Enjoy!

If this video does not appear for you, click here.

Each year Amway opens its doors to about a dozen groups of journalists from our markets all over the world. We also host individual media who visit our world headquarters in Ada, Michigan.

Media get behind-the-scenes tours of our manufacturing facilities, access to our leaders and experts, and the opportunity to ask whatever they want about our company, business opportunity, and products. These journalists run the gamut from managing editors to television reporters to business writers.

Case in point: A tale of two visits this month. A week or so ago we hosted 12 high-level journalists from some of India’s most influential media. They spent time with Amway chairman Steve Van Andel and other top execs to understand the company’s history and vision. Stories already have appeared in media like The Telegraph, India Retailing and The Economic Times about the future of Amway in India. There’s more coverage to come.

Meanwhile, our local Fox TV affiliate spent time touring our cosmetics facility to get the scoop on how ARTISTRY cosmetics and skin care are developed. The coverage aired locally and is viewable online. (Click on the “Amway’s Artistry Plant [#1-4] 7.22.09″ segments).

Both are examples of how we invite journalists in to learn about our business and products. We host these visits not just to encourage news coverage but to help journalists understand our business and accurately cover us. They ask us tough questions and get candid answers. And in just a few days they can see our facilities, hear from our scientists and experts, and get access to company leaders who may not travel often to their home countries. We can’t bring our mile-long manufacturing facility to Makati, but we can bring Filipino journalists to Ada. And we will later this year, along with media from Japan, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine.

So, we roll out the welcome mat for journalists—or the maligayang pagdating banig, as the case may be.

Yesterday’s A.C. Milan v. LA Galaxy game ended in a 2-2 tie.

But for Amway’s Nutrilite brand, this was a big win.

Nutrilite hosted a number of bloggers at its Center for Optimal Health over the weekend.  The bloggers underwent health evaluations, met Nutrilite experts like Dr. Duke Johnson and Sean Foy, and learned about how Nutrilite can help people achieve optimal health.

They also got to meet A.C. Milan and attend and cover Sunday’s game.

Like the Mobile Brand Experiences, this event was another way Nutrilite is reaching out to consumers and influencers with its brand story.  And that’s a win for IBOs and customers alike!

When AC Milan and the LA Galaxy play on Sunday, July 19, there will be talk about soccer superstars Ronaldinho and David Beckham facing off.

For us, it’s not just a battle of soccer titans but a battle of brands and how Amway plans to score with customers.

Let us explain. Amway’s not taking the field, but we’re on the bench for AC Milan. That’s because Amway’s NUTRILITE™ brand is the “Official Nutrition Supplement” of AC Milan, dubbed the “World’s Most Successful Soccer Club.”

And, AC Milan soccer superstar Ronaldinho is part of Amway’s Team Nutrilite and global spokesperson for Amway’s One by One Campaign. He’s been called one of the top soccer players in the world.

Our AC Milan and Ronaldinho sponsorships are part of a company strategy to reach the millions of soccer fans worldwide with our health and wellness message.

As for the battle of the brands, AC Milan will face the Herbalife-sponsored LA Galaxy. Herbalife is a direct selling competitor of Amway’s.

To help us spread the world about our brands to potential customers, we’ve invited bloggers covering the game to learn more about NUTRILITE. They’ll have access to NUTRILITE experts and get exclusive tours of our facilities, in addition to meeting with AC Milan.

And while the game’s sold out, our customers can follow real-time updates on what’s happening on the field and behind-the-scenes at our official NUTRILITE Facebook page and Twitter feed.

It’s all part of our strategy of using soccer to score with consumers. Game on!

Three-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year and ESPY award nominee for Best Female International Athlete, Marta is the new epicenter of Amway’s Nutrilite and Artistry brand marketing.

“Marta embodies everything the Amway Global business stands for in terms of helping people set and achieve goals to reach their own personal level of success,” said Jori Hartwig, vice president of marketing for Amway’s North American operations.

The ESPY nomination is well-deserved for the Los Angeles Sol forward. Says Marta:

“I want to be a role model for others and help them achieve a healthy lifestyle and go after their dreams, just like I’ve done for myself.”

Tune in to ESPN Sunday, July 19 at 9 p.m. ET to see if Marta takes home the award!

Pick up the July-August issue of Consumers Digest magazine to see the publication’s rating of the eSpring Water Purifier as a “best buy.”

The article explores which water treatment/filtration product claims hold water and which are all wet.

Consumers Digest features eSpring as a “best buy” in water filters, citing that eSpring is the only countertop model that uses ultraviolet technology to naturally disinfect water, like a distiller. The article also includes a photo and description of eSpring.

Unfortunately the content is not available online, so you’ll need to visit your local library or bookstore to get a copy of the magazine.

We hope to see our local friends, families and neighbors in downtown Grand Rapids this Saturday to celebrate Independence Day.

Back in May, we announced our intentions to be the majority sponsor for the annual fireworks display. As Steve Van Andel, our chairman puts it:

“Ever since our company was founded 50 years ago, we’ve been proud to invest in, and give back to, our hometown.”

Ah Nab Awen Park by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Musuem makes for prime viewing, though arrive early. Of course, if you want the best seats in town, then enter to win an overnight stay at either the JW or the Amway Grand this weekend (so hurry!) at select area grocers.

There's no time like summertime.   And there's no better time to enjoy it than the long Independence Day holiday weekend.  By the fourth of July, even chillier areas of the country are warming up so it feels like summer everywhere.

So get outside and catch summer while you can.  Here are 10 things you can do wherever you are and whatever you're doing to enjoy a bit of summer.

1)  Free your feet.  Take off your shoes and walk in the grass.  Feel the heat from the earth and let the blades tickle  your toes.  There are months where your feet are confined within socks and shoes.  July shouldn't be one of them.

2)  Get wet.  Run through a sprinkler or turn on a hose.  On the warmest days, there's nothing that elicits giggles like the sudden spray of a sprinkler or garden hose.

3)  Eat fruit.  June is for strawberries, July for blueberries, and August for peaches.  Eat them while they're still warm from the vine, bush, tree, or from a farmstand.

4) Make your own iced tea.  Not the rushed, watered down stuff you get in restaurants.  Make a batch of sun tea or brew your own with enough bags so the tea stands up to the ice.

5) Eat lunch outside.  Even your brown bag lunch eaten on a curb qualifies as a picnic.

6) Listen up.  Many communities have free outdoor concerts in the summer time.  Grab a lawn chair or blanket and get outside and enjoy some music and community.  In West Michigan, check out Blues on the Mall in Grand Rapids or  Blues on the River in Rockford.

7) Splurge on a cone.  Not a cup, a cone.  Wrap it in a napkin, although you know it'll soon melt all over your hand. 

8) Grill something.  Everything tastes better cooked over coals.  It doesn't matter whether it's a humble hot dog or a delectable Delmonico, it'll be worth the time.

9) Seek water.  Find a lake, pond, river, or other tributary. Wade in or go for a swim. 

10) Open the windows.  In many parts of the country, we're trapped inside most of the year.  Even on the hottest days, open your windows a bit and let the warm fresh air in.

Oh yes, and if you're outside, wear sunscreen. 

See how many of these you can do over the long Independence Day weekend.  And remember, Amway's U.S. offices will be closed for the holiday on Friday, July 3 and Monday, July 6.  We'll be back open for business on Tuesday the 7th.

Editor’s Note:  This post was originally published on the Interns Expose Amway blog.

If you thought we spend all of our time in cubicles and at meetings

indoors…NOT TRUE! Though hard workers, as interns at Amway we do

venture out into the world and participate in activities in the

community with each other. These activities include things like

networking opportunities, community service, and just plain fun events!

We thought it would be great to keep you updated on some of the

events interns participate in outside of the workplace, so to start

off, here is a video from the recent KaBOOM!

playground build event coordinated by the Corporate Citizenship

department. Rick, Aaron, and Austin joined over 250 people from Amway’s

Manufacturing department and the surrounding community to build a

playground at Congress Elementary School in Grand Rapids, MI in one

day!

Check out Kim Drabik’s post on the Amway One by One Campaign for Children blog for more information about the event and to view some great photos!