Company DescriptionNOW’s values and mission have stayed very much aligned with those of its main customers — independent health food retailers — since the company was founded by Elwood Richard in 1968. Although NOW has grown to become one of the industry’s largest manufacturers, NOW is still owned by the Richard family and remains committed to its original mission: to provide value in products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives. Elwood Richard’s core belief, that high-quality health products should be affordable for everyone, still shapes the company’s decisions and policies today.

How does NOW produce quality products at such reasonable prices? The answer is surprisingly simple: commitment. Every phase of the manufacturing process, from careful selection of raw materials, through comprehensive testing and meticulous manufacturing, to the packaging and shipping of products, follows strict procedures overseen by an experienced team of experts. NOW’s state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing facilities in Illinois and Nevada are GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)-certified and “A-rated” by the Natural Products Association (NPA), and also certified by Underwriters Laboratory (UL) for dietary supplement manufacturing.

NOW’s dedication to the customers who have made its success possible is illustrated by the company’s stellar customer service and enduring commitment to the health food channel.

Key Market AreasNOW’s product categories include dietary supplements, herbs, pet supplements, personal care, essential oils, sports nutrition, natural foods and natural sweeteners. According to SPINS, NOW is the #1 selling amino acid brand in the health food channel, #1 in the miscellaneous supplements category (CoQ10, ALA, etc.), #2 in the sports performance nutrition segment, and NOW® Solutions is #1 in carrier oils, and a very close #2 in essential oils.

Major ProductsWith over 1,400 products in its catalog including dietary supplements, personal care products, sports nutrition products and natural foods, NOW is uniquely positioned to meet the comprehensive wellness needs of health-conscious consumers. Product categories include: • Vitamin and minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. • Cardiovascular, metabolic, immune and digestive support supplements, including strain-verified probiotics. • Super green foods, fiber and herbs. • Joint, mobility and structural support. • Men’s and women’s specialty supplements. • Sports nutrition, weight management and protein powders. • Natural body care, hair care, facial care and hygiene products. • Pure, organic and blend essential oils, many Non-GMO Project Verified. • Mental fitness and cognitive support. • Omega-3, nutritional oils and EFAs. • Natural and non-GMO foods and cooking oils, allergy-friendly and gluten-free foods, and teas. • Natural sweeteners including Sugarless Sugar™ and BetterStevia®, a proprietary whole leaf stevia extract. • Pet supplements

NOW has tailored many aspects of its business model to support the success and growth of natural product retailers, providing a diverse selection of sales tools, including retail and consumer catalogs, banners and displays, window signs, shelf talkers and informative literature for retailers and consumers.

NOW’s Online Retailer Portal allows retailers to manage their business from one convenient location to place orders, view order history and download digital product images, labels andmarketing collateral. In the portal, retailers can also access NOW’s Product-ology online training courses. Product-ology, designed exclusively for retailers, offers fun and interactive lessons to provide sales associates with nutritional ingredient knowledge to better assist customers in the aisle. New this year, NOW also offers a monthly training webinar for its retail customers with 30-minute educational webinars presented by NOW experts. Topics vary and range from “Vitamin E Label Changes” to “The Purity of NOW Essential Oils. ” An open Q & A session follows each presentation. Webinars are also available for replay on the NOW Retailer Portal.

NOW offers manufacturing facility tours, retailer conferences, free e-newsletters and is one of the very few natural supplement companies to provide free technical support from certified nutritionists.

What’s New?• New Order Fulfillment and Distribution Center:  In early 2017, NOW opened a new 200,000 square foot order fulfillment and distribution facility in Roselle, Illinois, making room for additional receiving operations and warehouse space in the Bloomingdale manufacturing facility. The state-of-the-art facility allows for even better customer service and efficiency while conserving energy and highlighting worker safety and well-being. • NOW recently installed the Dupont™ RiboPrinter® System, which uses DNA-fingerprinting technology to identify specific strains of bacteria as well as unknown microorganisms. This technology augments the company’s outstanding testing capabilities with new equipment to verify the identity and purity of NOW’s key probiotic products. The company can now guarantee that the strain on the label is in the bottle. A special logo on the bottle shows that the probiotics have been verified.

NOW Foods244 Knollwood Dr. Bloomingdale, IL 60108 Tel.: (630)545-9098, (888)669-3663 Fax: (630)790-8019 sales@nowfoods.com www.nowfoods.com Year Founded: 1968

Key PersonnelJim Emme, CEO Ernest Shepard, COO Andy Kotlarz, Chief Financial Officer Aaron Secrist, Director of Quality and Research & Development Dan Richard, Global Sales Manager Rick Sharpee, Ph.D., Director of Science & Nutrition

Published in WholeFoods Magazine July 2017