“Amway was founded on the belief that, by helping people improve their lives, they could make the world a better place.”

So begins the message from our Chairman Steve Van Andel and our President Doug DeVos in the Amway 2012 Global Corporate Social Responsibility Report released today.

The annual report highlights the many ways our company, its more than 21,000 employees and more than 3 million distributors make a difference in the lives of others.

That includes building homes in Latin America, providing water filters in Haiti, building libraries in China and adopting schools right here in the hometown of our World Headquarters.

Corporate Social Responsibility is built into everything we do: our people, our products and our performance.

 Steve and Doug credit their fathers for recognizing the potential in this business for making a difference.

“They made it their mission to be more, do more, give more. And more than a half-century later, we’re still emulating their powerful example. … We’re awed by how far we’ve come and inspired to keep becoming more, together.”

Read the full report here.

Welcome to a new feature at the Amway Insider: 5 Minutes With…

Occasionally we will choose an interesting person connected to Amway or the direct selling industry and ask them a few quick questions. We’re very excited about our inaugural guest, Zac. We’ve written about him before, but this is the first time we got Zac to sit down for an interview. Thanks to Antonia Krunes of Amway Australia and New Zealand for tracking down the jet-setting stick figure.

How does it feel to be Amway’s unofficial “social mascot”?

Great! I love my Amway business and the great opportunity it offers. It’s so much fun being in my own videos and attending all the exciting Amway Achievers events. I love connecting with people through social media – it helps me share my great experiences with Amway!

What do you think about your social counterpart, Carlos, helping spread the word about Amway in Latin America?

Carlos is a legend – he’s doing a fantastic job at letting people in Latin America know about the best business opportunity in the world.

How many languages do you know?

I speak English, Spanish, Portugese and most of the other major languages. I’m a quick study!

Can you tell us about your latest video?

Sometimes people ask me if Amway products are worth the price tag. I know that nothing compares to Amway’s quality products – but I’m not sure how to tell others! So in my latest video I go on a journey to discover what makes Amway products world-class. I find out about the rich history of Amway’s products. They don’t manufacture to the lowest cost, but produce the best value. Watch it here and find out why “Nothing Compares to Amway!”

Can we find you on Facebook?

Sure can! I love Facebook and often pop up on the Amway Australia & New Zealand Facebook.

What do you think about fellow Aussie ARTISTRY Global Face Teresa Palmer.

Teresa is an Aussie beauty and a brilliant actress – she is taking Hollywood by storm! She is the perfect embodiment of ARTISTRY. Go, Teresa, go!

What stands out about your trip to Amway World Headquarters last year?

I definitely remember getting caught up on all of the episodes of “The Office” during the 14-hour airplane ride. Aside from that, so many things! I got to meet Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel and sit his office, which has an amazing view of the “flag promenade” where Amway displays the flags from every country where it does business.

I also loved touring the beauty research and development labs. They even gave me my very own lab coat! Walking down the Hall of Achievement was another eye-opening moment. If anyone reading this gets the chance to visit Ada, I’d highly recommend it – it was the experience of a lifetime.

Well, Zac, thanks so much for your time, and we look forward to your next video.

My pleasure, G’day!

Amway now operates in more than 100 countries and territories. Wherever we go, we try to connect with the community, and our hometown is no different.

We are pleased to partner with Grand Rapids NBC affiliate WOOD TV to share our stories of connecting to the West Michigan community. As Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel and President Doug DeVos explain in these videos, connecting with community has always been a part of the Amway culture.

Nearly 70,000 Amway distributors, employees and their guests: That’s the total number of people who came to see Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel on his recent tour of three cities in China and one in Taiwan.

Our leadership makes annual trips to markets across the world to recognize the our top performing distributors, rewarding and recognizing them for their hard work and leadership and motivating them to keep striving.

Van Andel spoke to 11,000 in Beijing, 13,000 in Guangzhou and 10,000 in Shanghai. And when he traveled to Taipei, Taiwan, he spoke to two crowds of 17,000 each. In Taipei he also was joined by Dr. Sam Rehnborg, president of the Nutrilite Health Institute and, at one of the events, Holly Chen, one the most successful distributors in Amway’s history.

In the more than 50 years that Amway has been operating, Van Andel told the crowd he has seen many changes in the company.

“But what hasn’t changed is the people,” he said. “It’s the people that make Amway successful. People like all of you.”

See more photos of his visit at our Facebook page, facebook.com/amway.

We’re excited that Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel has been elected vice chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions.

It’s his second time to serve at the top level of this organization, as he was chairman from 2001 to 2002. And it’s a position his father, Amway Co-Founder Jay Van Andel, held as well.

According to U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue, Steve and the Amway family embody the value of entrepreneurship and the freedom to take risks.

“In order for business to grow and create jobs, you need an environment that encourages creativity, innovation, hard work and opportunities for people to succeed,” Steve said in his recent speech at the U.S. Chamber’s CEO Leadership Series. “This is the way we need to approach business if we want long-term growth and prosperity.”

Today Amway announced a nearly USD$180 million manufacturing expansion  to better meet growing global demand for our top-selling NUTRILITE™  vitamin, mineral and dietary supplements.

The four new facilities at sites in California, Michigan and Washington state will employ more than 250 people when fully operational.

The investment includes construction of a new $81 million nutrition plant  near our headquarters in Ada, Michigan, to produce soft gels and tablets and a new $42 million granulation operations and research and development facility at our Nutrilite center  in Buena Park, California. Amway also recently announced a new Nutrilite extraction and concentration operation to be built in Quincy, Washington, and a nearly-completed nutrition powder products plant at Amway World Headquarters.

“NUTRILITE™ is integral to the future of Amway as the world’s number one selling vitamin and supplement brand.” said Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel and President Doug DeVos in a joint statement announcing the expansion.

The new facilities are an investment designed to support Amway distributors and their customers, ensuring we’re able to meet demand for NUTRILITE products for years to come.

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

How do we put America’s economy back on track?

By unleashing something we already have in abundance: The entrepreneurial spirit. 

In a U.S. Chamber of Commerce “CEO Leadership Series” appearance today in Washington, D.C., Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel told a beltway audience that an entrepreneurial approach is a part of the solution to our nation’s challenges.

“Entrepreneurs are innovative, have good ideas and are willing to try new things. They work best in an environment with fewer unnecessary and burdensome regulations,” he said. “If we applied these principles to business, we’d see more hiring, more confidence and more optimism than what we have today.”

Harnessing these qualities will “unleash a spirit of entrepreneurship – where hard work is rewarded, innovation and creativity are encouraged, failure is not feared.”

View a webcast of Steve’s appearance here.

In their pre-Amway days, Co-Founders Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos embarked on a sailing trip to the Caribbean. They didn’t let the fact that neither of them knew how to sail stop them from their wanderlust.

Well, the boat sank in the waters off Cuba, but one of the things salvaged was the boat’s bell, which Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel will talk about in his May 2 speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C.

“It’s something I keep right outside my office at Amway’s headquarters as a constant reminder of Dad and Rich’s sense of adventure and willingness to take on new challenges,” Steve says. “These were two guys not easily deterred by hard work or rejection.”

Steve will highlight the importance of that adventurous spirit when he visits the Chamber. It will be a familiar venue for him. He has served on the Chamber board since 1996, is a past chairman and currently serves as treasurer.

Our guest blogger is social media consultant Cami Reister.

The announcement that Amway’s parent company reached sales of USD$10.9 billion in 2011 made headlines.

And this week, Amway’s chairman and president shared the story behind the headlines with some major media.

Amway President Doug DeVos explained during an interview on the FOX Business show Varney and Company that the “American dream” is alive and well not just in the U.S. but all over the world.  DeVos and Amway Chairman Steve Van Andel sat down with The Wall Street Journal’s Dennis Berman for a “Big Interview” about how Amway helps people achieve their goals through a business of their own.

Click on the photo below to view the “Big Interview.”