OpTree

The Avon Foundation, an organization sponsored by the Avon cosmetics company, announced today that they have partnered with The Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation to launch a new campaign, the Love/Avon Army of Women.  The revolutionary program will partner women with breast cancer and researchers to help unlock the mystery of what causes breast cancer.

The main goal of the program will be to move beyond just searching for a cure, but in finding clear answers to how women today can prevent the cancer from attacking. The Love/Avon Army of Women are encouraging women of all races, and ethnicities to take part in the research that will helps the millions of people affected by breast cancer each year.

The program will offer women the chance to participate in finding a cure simply by going to the Army of Women site and signing up to participate in future research studies. Women who are healthy, at risk, or currently undergoing treatment can all join in on the efforts to find answers. All information of participants is kept strictly confidential. Studies range from simple questionnaires to providing blood samples. The volunteer will determine how much they are willing to participate. All research and data collected will go through scientific, safety and ethical review to ensure their validity.

Dr. Susan Love, for whom the Susan Love Research Foundation is named, has been a leader in the breast cancer movement for over 3 decades, is excited about the partnership and its possibilities. “Women have repeatedly demonstrated through fundraising and advocacy their personal dedication to ending this disease. This new initiative gives women the opportunity to take the next steps and be part of the research itself.”

Andrea Jung, Chairman and CEO of Avon Products was on hand with Dr. Love for the launch, “Avon is itself an ‘army of women,’ and we are committed to being the company and the foundation for women. The Army of Women is a perfect marriage of our global leadership in the breast cancer cause and our grassroots access to women across the country.”

Several celebrities have joined in on the campaign as “celebrity ambassadors.” Among the celebs who have joined the army are, Felicity Huffman, Marcia Cross, Daisy Fuentes, Danica Patrick and Suze Orman.

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USANA has announced that a California State Court has dismissed a class action suit filed against the company in 2007.

The suit, filed by former USANA distributors, Jeannette Johnson and Christopher Crane-Johnson v USANA, on behalf of themselves and all others distributors was filed last summer not only against the company, but also certain officers, distributors and directors. The plaintiffs allege that, USANA failed to disclose material adverse facts about the company, its business relationships and its future business prospects. There were also claims of concealment of fraudulent activity and that USANA maintained an unsustainable business model.

An official statement from the court states that The Plaintiffs agreed to request that the court dismiss the case with prejudice and determined there was no longer any merit to maintaining a class action lawsuit

USANA and its CEO, Dave Wentz, were also pleased at the outcome, “We are pleased that the court approved this motion to dismiss. We will continue to move forward without further distraction or expense.”

This is more good news for the company that has a had a very interesting year including being able to rid itself from the annoyance of Barry Minkow’s lawsuit and move beyond the unsuccessful attempt to take the company private.

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MonaVie announced the appointment of Devin D. Thorpe as their new Chief Financial Officer. Founded in 2005, Mona Vie is a global leader in the production and sale of the Brazilian Acai Berry nutritional drink.

Thorpe’s background both in the direct sales industry and in the financial sector is impressive. Prior to joining the Mona Vie team, Thorpe served as treasurer of another direct sales company, worked on staff at the U.S. Senate Banking Committee in Washington D.C, acted as managing director of Thorpe Capital Group, an investment bank he founded in 2000 and most recently he led the Technology Outreach and Innovation program at USTAR. Thorpe’s background in the financial sector as well as in the direct selling industry

Thorpe is excited about the opportunity that awaits him at Mona Vie and is anxious to help the country continue to build and grow. “It is a thrill to join one of the most outstanding companies in the entire world. The challenge for a CFO in this environment is to find ways to continue to increase stability and security while accelerating growth worldwide. I’m honored to join the MonaVie team and look forward to being a part of this company’s magnificent future.”

“We are delighted to add such a strong global finance executive to our team,” says MonaVie Founder and President Dallin Larsen. “Devin Thorpe’s experience in both the financial and banking industries will be invaluable in building upon our strong momentum worldwide.”

Thorpe holds a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Utah and an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.

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The Longaberger Basket Company is shaking things up at the manufacturing plant, from the basket making process up to the location of their processing plant. The company says that the changes are being made both in an effort to streamline operations at the company, but also in an effort to save energy and increase productivity.

The changes in the basket will come in the stain used to finish the baskets. The company will convert to a roller system staining the basket before they are woven rather than spraying them afterwards. The move will not only use less of the stain but will also make the entire process more energy efficient.

Along with the changes in the basket making process, the company will move its basket making plant from Hartville to Frazeysburg. The current plant will be shut down. The 30 employees at the current plant are being given the option to move to Frazeysburg. If they choose not to make the move, they will be paid through the first of the year and receive career counseling.

“This is a landmark manufacturing improvement that will lead us into the next generation of basket making while at the same time solidify our commitment to our century-old craft,” said Kelly Walker, Longaberger’s vice president of operations. “These process improvements put us in a better position to make dramatic reductions in our annual energy consumption and raw materials use. Our goal is to integrate process improvement with environmental stewardship.”

The company would like to assure all of its loyal customers that while the basket making process will change slightly the quality of the baskets and the Longaberger brand itself will remain intact.  Just hope they dont decide to change the look of the corporate office which is by far one of the coolest buildings around.

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