Today we spend 5 minutes with “Dr. B,” also known as Rohan Fernando. Rohan has worked in Quality Assurance for Nutrilite for 20 years.

His team tests our B vitamins for potency, making sure they meet our standards and do what we want them to do. And, if you’ve ever toured our Nutrilite Center for Optimal Health, you may have met him. He’s the one who shows the tour groups around his department.

When did you first know you wanted to be a scientist?

In high school I was strong in science and math. With math I thought I could be a CPA or something like that, which didn’t interest me as much; I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with numbers all day. But I realized that science would be a broader field to pursue, so I studied microbiology and chemistry, which led me to my job here at Nutrilite.

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened on a tour?

Well, people see me in my lab coat and they think I’m a doctor. And people love to take pictures with me. When they go back and share their pictures, other people who come visit recognize me, and they’re excited to see me. It’s a good feeling. They call me “Dr. B” because I handle B vitamins. People feel they know me, which is nice.

What do you like most about your job?

It’s just nice to work for a company you believe in and can be proud of. I like to wear my Nutrilite logo gear out and about and have people recognize who I work for.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the 20 years you’ve been here?

Our QA lab has really grown. It was 7,000 square feet when I started here in 1993. Now it has grown to 37,000 square feet.

What keeps you busy when you’re not at work?

I like playing basketball with my kids, and I’m into cars so I like going to auto shows. I stay in shape and jog every day. I preach staying healthy, so I need to stay fit. I enjoy exercising.

Did you know we are growing? We are expanding Nutrilite manufacturing facilities at sites around the globe to meet increased demand and to continue to provide the high quality products customers have come to expect.

In Buena Park, California, a new granulation plant and a research and development facility are under construction. The new buildings, along with a new visitor experience at the Nutrilite Center for Optimal Health, are scheduled to open in late 2014 or early 2015.

Work began on these projects last year when we started demolition of the older facilities. We’re far enough along to provide regular construction updates, not only from Buena Park, but also from the new facilities we’re building in Quincy, Washington, at our World Headquarters in Ada, Michigan, and other locations around the world.

Right now in Buena Park, the construction team is installing structural steel. That will continue for about six weeks. The granulation tower has been the first priority and is far enough along to allow the second floor decking to begin.

Watch us grow on our Nutrilite Facebook page, where we will be sharing regular photos from our construction sites.

Today Amway’s parent company, Alticor, announced record sales of USD$11.3 billion for 2012. 

That’s a huge accomplishment, driven by the strength of our NUTRILITE™ brand, which accounts for 46 percent of product sales. The introduction of eSpring™ in China in 2012, the company’s biggest product launch ever, and the restaging of the ARTISTRY™ beauty brand, created excitement and generated strong sales. First-year sales of eSpring in China are expected to top USD$500 million.

Those are impressive numbers.  But we calculate success another way:  The strength of  the millions of Amway distributors operating their own businesses in more than 100 countries and territories, supported by more than 21,000 employees worldwide.  They are drawn to our business to earn extra income and create more flexibility and work/life balance. When they achieve, we achieve. 

That’s why in 2013 we’ll fuel their success through USD$335 million in investments in manufacturing and research and development expansions in the U.S., China, India and Vietnam.  We’ll continue to create innovative products in nutrition and beauty.  And we’ll find new ways to support our distributors doing business wherever they are.

Congratulations to our distributors and employees on another record year.  Thanks to you, we have a “strength in numbers” that creates success.

More than seven decades ago, Carl F. Rehnborg introduced what’s believed to be the first multivitamin/multimineral food supplement, manufactured in a Quonset hut in Southern California.

Since then, NUTRILITE has become the world’s No. 1 selling vitamins and dietary supplements brand, and is the only global vitamin and mineral brand to grow, harvest and process plants on its own certified organic farms.

Today, Carl’s son Sam Rehnborg, Ph.D., and George Calvert, Ph.D., Amway Vice President of Research and Development and Supply Chain, were in a field in Quincy, Washington, to celebrate yet another milestone for the company.

Amway  broke ground on a $38 million botanical concentrate manufacturing facility that will process plants from the company’s nearby Trout Lake Farm operations. Trout Lake is the largest certified organic herb farm in North America.

The Quincy project is part of a $185 million manufacturing expansion we announced earlier this year to meet growing global demand for NUTRILITE products. Amway had sales of $4.7 billion for its nutritional products for 2011.

Check back at The Amway Insider and our Facebook page for photos from the groundbreaking ceremony and more about our growing nutrition business.

Amway employees around the world take great pride in the work they do to support our distributors and their businesses.

That sentiment was broadcast loud and clear as Amway manufacturing facilities and workers in Ada, Michigan, were highlighted in the “Made in Michigan” series by local TV station WZZM13.

This program shows how Michigan-based manufacturers like Amway, General Motors and American Seating, make products locally that are sold globally.

Follow this link to the program article and video.

When we say we’re a company built on values, we mean it.

Freedom. Family. Hope. Reward.

Those are our Founders’ Fundamentals that are embedded, literally, in stone in front of our World Headquarters in Ada, Michigan.

These principles, along with our corporate values and mission, provide a solid foundation for all our business operations, from our dealings with distributors to the leadership positions our executives hold within their communities.

To find out how, inspired by our values, we collectively improve the world around us, read our Corporate Citizenship Report.

Or watch this video of Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel and President Doug DeVos discussing what the Founders’ Fundamentals mean to our organization.

YouTube Direkt

YouTube Direkt

Did you know that Amway employees and distributors have volunteered more than 2.5 million hours to make the communities where they work and live a better place?

Read about our ongoing efforts around the world in the 2011 Amway Global Corporate Citizenship Report published today, or in the Amway One By One blog.  That blog, by the way, was recently honored as the “Best Corporate Social Responsibility” blog by PR News.

The next time you enjoy a glass of water from an eSpring water purification system, thank a coconut.

That’s right, a coconut. Scientists chose coconut shells as a carbon source for our water filters because studies show it works much better than other sources, including coal.

“You can use less of it, and it’s a higher quality,” Amway Research Scientist Karen VanderKooi said. “It’s also abundant and renewable.”

The activated shells are extra porous, which makes them superior at attracting contaminants.

Our suppliers use the charcoal from burned coconut shells, typically used for simple fuel, and treat them with high temperatures to make “activated carbon” granules.  The granules are then ground to a fine powder, pressed into a block and fit right into our eSpring cartridges.

The size range of the powder particles is patented and unique to eSpring, says Karen.

“It’s why the carbon filter can reduce over 140 potential health-effect contaminants and can treat up to 5,000 liters of water before needing replacement,” she said.

Our guest blogger is social media consultant Cami Reister.

Would you like to have a conversation with top experts from a global company in your area of interest…manufacturing, R&D, marketing? If so, do we have a surprise for you!

Last week, Amway Talent Acquisition’s Facebook corporate careers page piloted its first guest-hosted Facebook discussion. During the conversation Jim Brundidge, director of manufacturing at our Nutrilite Lakeview, California, operation, discussed manufacturing and labor trends and shared insights gained in his almost 35 years at Amway.

The pilot went so smoothly that our Talent Acquisition group plans to do it again.

From R&D and manufacturing to supply chain and business services, Amway has more than 20,000 dedicated subject matter experts who serve our distributors and want to change the world. We call them employees – and they’re ready to engage in discussions that benefit their functions, industries and global communities.

So check out Amway’s Talent Acquisition page at www.facebook.com/amwaytalent and join us in the next conversation, and stay tuned for future Facebook discussions with Amway industry experts.

Our guest blogger is Jon Brickner, of Amway Talent Acquisition.