Sunrider

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (March 2007)

This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (July 2007)

Sunrider, or Sunrider International, is a large, international, privately held direct sales^[1] company, the stated goal of which is "to bring wealth and health to people all over the world". Its headquarters are in Torrance, California. Sunrider manufactures herbal and health foods products at four manufacturing plants worldwide.

Contents 1 Company history 2 Grand Conventions 3 Manufacturing of Products 4 Products 5 Hotel Business 6 Controversies 7 Awards & Recognition 8 External links 9 References

[edit] Company history

The company has been in operation for 25 years. It was founded in 1982 in Orem, Utah in the United States by the Taiwan-born herbalist, Dr. Tei-Fu Chen. In the late 1980s, the company moved its headquarters to the Los Angeles area. It has since developed into a multinational corporation with about forty offices worldwide. Also, Sunrider recently acquired several hotel properties in East Asia. Sunrider has over 7,000 retail stores in China.^[2]

Sunrider's founder, Dr. Chen, claims to have perfected the extraction of stevia, by applying a non-chemical extraction method that had been recorded in the herbal manuscripts of the Chinese emperors.^{[citation needed]} This method removes the green colour and the bitter aftertaste of the Stevia leaves.

Sunrider is an official sponsor of the Los Angeles AIDS Walk,^[3] Enterprise Mentors International (non-profit microfinance organization), the Torrance Chinese School, and the Los Angeles Consular Corps.

Sunrider is an herbal supplement supplier for the 2008 Israeli Olympic Team.^[4]

[edit] Grand Conventions

Every summer in either June or July, Sunrider International hosts an annual event known as Grand Convention. The conventions are normally held in southern California.

The 2007 Grand Convention was held in China and Hong Kong, with nearly 10,000 people in attendance. Asian pop stars Richie Ren and Kelly Chen performed at the Convention.^[5]

The 2008 Grand Convention will be held in Anaheim, California.^[6]

[edit] Manufacturing of Products

Sunrider International researches, develops, and manufactures all of its own products and does not outsource any production. The manufacturing process begins with buying raw herbs, sanitizing/cleansing the herbs, refining and concentrating, and packaging. This process occurs at all of Sunrider's four manufacturing sites throughout the globe Guangzhou, China; Taiwan; Singapore; and Los Angeles. A fifth manufacturing plant is under construction in Kunshan, China, in the metropolitan area of Shanghai, China. The Kunshan plant will have nearly 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m²) of manufacturing space. The new Los Angeles manufacturing plant is the largest of its kind in the world,^{[citation needed]} having nearly one million square feet of manufacturing space in the heart of southern Los Angeles, California.

Sunrider also manufactures its products in a way that ensures kosher and halal quality of their foods and supplements, making them marketable and available to the Jewish and Islamic communities.

[edit] Products

Sunbreeze (oil and balm) Vitashake Vitataste Spa Skin care

Sunsmile toothpaste & oral care products Sunbright Kandesn skin care & cosmetics Herbal supplements

Metabooster Fruit & Vegetable Rinse Superclean laundry detergent Specialized skin care products

[edit] Hotel Business

Sunrider has created a new hotel chain, acquiring several hotels in Asia. In Beijing, the Sunworld Dynasty Hotel and the Sunworld Hotel. In Taipei: the Sunworld Dynasty Hotel. Both hotels in Beijing are "Olympic" hotels, meaning that they are pre-booked by government officials. The Sunworld Dynasty hotels are five-star, while the Sunworld Hotel is a four-star. The Sunworld Dynasty Hotel in Beijing has Asia's largest indoor terrace plaza.

[edit] Controversies

• Stephen Barrett has accused the company of making false claims regarding its products' therapeutic effects, and reports legal problems the company has faced from the FDA and state of California regarding false medial claims. In addition, Barret claims that Sunrider distributors do not have the proper qualifications to advise their customers about the products' use. ^[7] The company has instructed distributors to avoid medical claims, and no longer publicizes any such claims.^[8]
• In 1987, salmonella bacteria were found in one of the company's products.^[9][10] Since this incident, Sunrider has gone to great lengths to ensure healthy and sanitary conditions, and has in fact received numerous awards in the category.^{[citation needed]}
• In 1992 a jury in Phoenix, Arizona, concluded that Sunrider had violated Arizona's racketeering laws and awarded $650,000 to a woman who claimed that Sunrider products have had a negative effect on her health.^[11][12] The company points out that no one else had negative effects from the products, and the woman's boyfriend admitted several years later to spiking the products with the toxic element thallium to force Sunrider into an out-of-court settlement.^[13]
• The company's Taiwan branch was accused of improperly regulating their distributors' activities unrelated to the sales of the Sunrider products, such as prohibiting distributors to attend outside education and training courses.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Awards & Recognition

• 2007 Torrance Advantage "People to People" Award, presented by the City of Torrance, California^[14]
• Certificate of Appreication from UNICEF for Sunrider's generous donations^[15]
• Sunrider's founders, Drs. Chen among the top ten Asian American entrepreneurs^[16]
• Kosher Award^[17]
• Islamic Food Award^{[citation needed]}
• American Minority Business Award^{[citation needed]}

[edit] External links

• Sunrider International
• Official Sunrider International Blog
• Background information about Sunrider
• Criticism of Sunrider

[edit] References