10 MiMfg Magazine May / June 2022
INDUSTRY
Member Spotlight
Amway : A Green
Pioneer
Member since October 1964 • Employs 3,000 Michigan workers • Learn more at amway . com
Founded in Ada in 1959 by Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos , Amway has always exemplified the concept of sustainability . Their first product , Liquid Organic Cleaner or L . O . C . ™ ( originally named Frisk ), was one of the world ’ s first biodegradable and environmentally conscious cleaning products .
They manufacture and distribute nutrition , beauty , personal care and home products , exclusively through Amway Independent Business Owners . Their products are not just from the earth but also good for the earth .
Today , Amway is the world ’ s largest direct-selling company and they hold more than 900 patents and patents pending . And they want to use their legacy and expertise to create a more earthfriendly and sustainable future for consumer products .
“ Amway has a legacy of taking stewardship of the earth seriously ,” says Brian Kraus , Amway ’ s Vice President of Manufacturing . “ We have a seed-to-supplement strategy . We use the best of science and the best of nature to create our supplements .”
For Amway ’ s Nutrilite ™ products , they grow , harvest and process plants on their very own FDA-certified organic farms .
Amway has approximately 1,050 manufacturing employees in the U . S ., including about 650 in Michigan . Globally , they have made approximately $ 300 million in manufacturing investments in the last 10 years . They have added a million square feet to their manufacturing plants in Michigan , California and Washington and own much of their production processes and distribution .
The company still upholds their founders ’ four principles : freedom , family , hope and reward . Through that foundation , they ’ ve developed innovative workforce recruitment strategies that have been recognized by the National Association of Manufacturers .
Thanks to this commitment to career advancement , Amway ’ s best recruiting resource has been word of mouth .
Amway ’ s state-of-the-art packaging lines utilize collaborative robots to place Nutrilite supplement pack cartons into corrugate shippers . These robots handle 10,000 cartons per day , providing supplements to global customers .
“ A few years ago , I met a new employee in our plant , a guy about 20 years old . I asked him how he heard about the job and he said , ‘ my grandma works here .’ I told him I was glad to hear his grandma was an Amway employee and he said , ‘ She ’ s here now , she works on my shift !’” Kraus says .
Amway is just as committed to the community as they are to their employees . Through a 20-year partnership with an organization named KABOOM !, Amway has built 22 playgrounds for underserved communities in three states , including 18 in Michigan .
“ We shut our plants down for the day so our staff can go and build the playgrounds ,” says Kraus .
Another example of their commitment to community health and wellness is their 18-year partnership with Kids ’ Food Basket ( KFB ), a nonprofit that addresses food insecurity and childhood nutrition .
“ KFB provides healthy Sack Suppers to kids in the community that otherwise would not have an evening meal ,” Kraus says . “ They acquired the last working farm in Grand Rapids so they could educate kids on where good food comes from . And the organically grown fruits and vegetables are used in the food kits .”
Kraus adds , “ The farm is about 10 acres , right in the city , and it ’ s powered by Nutrilite , because a lot of talent and scientists from our Nutrilite farms used their expertise to help KFB build the farm ’ s capabilities .”
Community . Family . Health . Environment . That ’ s what sustainability — and Amway — is all about . 6