OpTree

This was an unusually active week in the MLM world given the surprising news of Weekenders going out of business and filing for bankruptcy without any notice to its Distributors. Some of the more clever burned distributors have started taking to eBay to hock their wares and recoup some money.

We also started seeing that Mannatech appears to be getting out from its own legal troubles by settling a case which has plagued the company for some time now.

In other legal news, Herbalife continues to be harassed by the lead suit that a woman has filed over claims that she has suffered liver damage from using their products. This latest fiasco stemmed from the infamous Barry Minkow who has Herbalife on his radar and just wont let go. This also comes at a time when the FDA has started cracking down on false claims made both from and against the industry.

Tupperware is the lasted MLM company to be affected by the US economy woes being hit with higher prices from Dow Chemical Co due to the rising costs of resin - one of the main components in Tupperware’s products.

In more positive news, the Stevie Awards were handed out and both Shaklee and USANA each won an award presented by the American Business Association.

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Shaklee joined the proud group of Stevie award winners as they received an award for Best Corporate Environmental Responsibility Program.

The award was given in recognition of their eco-friendly initiatives. Shaklee was recognized for numerous “green” projects and partnerships throughout 2007.

Last year, the household products company became the first consumer products company to offset 100 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions through the U.S. EPA Climate Leaders Program and use certified Green e- renewable energy.

“We are honored to be recognized for our deep commitment to protect and preserve the environment. Shaklee was founded with the mission of making people and the planet healthier, values which are more relevant now than ever before,” said Shaklee CEO Roger Barnett. “Our 750,000 members and distributors around the world believe that the right way to do business means doing what is right for people and for the planet. It is this innovative approach to business that has made Shaklee the environmental pioneer that it is today.”

Shaklee’s popularity surged over the last year as the “going green” movement spread around the world like wildfire. The Get Clean Starter Kit had record sales after appearances on Oprah as well as being included in gift baskets at several high profile events including the Grammy’s and Sundance Film Festival.

Shaklee’s commitment to the environment has lasted decades and hasn’t slowed a bit. Just this past year, the company helped villages in Malawi provide sustainable solar energy to their people, developed a video called “Creating Healthy Environments with Children” with Amy Brenneman and was awarded the Global Green USA Organization Design Award for outstanding leadership in promoting healthy, clean natural living around the world with its products.

The American Business Awards, or the “Stevie” awards are the Oscars of the business world and it is an honor to be nominated and an even greater accomplishment to win.

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USANA was a big winner this past week at the American Business Awards, or the “Stevie” awards. The prestigious honor is called the “Oscars” of the business world. The American Business Awards and are a big deal in the corporate world and USANA was proud to be included amongst the nominees and take home a prize.

USANA received the award in the Interactive Multimedia Category for Consumer Entertainment/Information. The nutritional company’s MyHealthPak Builder Flash site is what won the award for the company.

USANA won the Stevie along with multimedia company, Verite who helped USANA in the designing and launching of the site. Verite helped USANA build the site which includes a custom supplement ordering system. The interactive site allows each consumer to customize and design their personalized health packs.

“We are so pleased that Verite and USANA were given the consumer entertainment award,” Verite CEO Kimberley Jones said. “Together we produced a unique, cutting-edge approach implementing Web 2.0 strategies that allowed customers to participate and personify their experience.” Dan Macuga, USANA vice president of network development and public relations, added, “We appreciate this significant recognition for the innovative MyHealthPak site. Verite helped create a simple, interactive site for our customers to receive truly customizable nutrition, helping USANA stay in the forefront of supplementation. We are also grateful for our dedicated Associates, who provided excellent feedback and support during the site’s construction.”

This award is a huge honor and for an MLM company to receive the honor brings a lot of legitimacy to the industry. With all the bad news and lawsuits in the MLM world lately, its great that a company is getting recognized for achievements rather than for what they are doing wrong. For a full list of Stevie winners, you can check out the site.

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