Published on Thursday, November 19, 2009 .
When Jay Van Andel and Rich DeVos started Amway 50 years ago, their offices were in an old garage in Ada, Michigan.
It wasn’t long before they outgrew that 2,400 square foot space and began building what today is a mile-long office and manufacturing complex.
Now, the Grand Rapids Public Museum is telling the story of Amway in a space about as big as that original garage.
“Amway: 50 Years of Helping People Live Better Lives” shares Amway’s history and a glimpse at its future through words, pictures, interactive displays, and artifacts. This is the museum’s first Amway exhibit, and includes many items that have never been on display before.
Like the Amway Flyer wagon we sold in the ’60s. Or a recreation of the bomb shelter Amway marketed during the Cold War era.
The exhibit will be open to the public through November 2010.
Every square foot of it.
Published on Monday, November 9, 2009 .
On November 9, 1959, Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel launched their latest business venture here in Ada, Michigan. Before founding Amway, Jay and Rich had tried their hand at businesses ranging from a drive-in restaurant to a flying school to an import business.
But the enterprise that had legs was Amway.
Since Amway’s founding, we’ve grown from a small band of entrepreneurs in the states to more than three million business owners in more than 80 countries and territories. We offer health and beauty brands known and loved around the world. And while Jay and Rich started with a skeleton crew to support their new business, today we boast 14,000 employees worldwide.
There’s no big celebration planned at our world headquarters in Ada today. We’ve been celebrating all year long with our distributors all around the world.
We’re spending Amway’s 50th anniversary just as Rich and Jay spent their first day on the job 50 years ago - at work, helping distributors succeed through their Amway businesses.
Published on Thursday, October 22, 2009 .
Our aviation team operates quietly, capably and professionally. They do their jobs without a lot of attention or fanfare.
But that’s about to change, as Amway aviation moves from operating under radar to getting major recognition as one of two inaugural winners of the Gulfstream Outstanding Flight Award given for flights involving superior airmanship.
Amway was honored for transporting more than 1,100 people using 22 aircraft in a single day as part of the company’s 50th anniversary events in May.
We’re in good company. The other honoree is the U.S. Air Force’s 310th airlift squadron. The two teams were cited for performing significant real-world business and special-mission aviation operations using Gulfstream aircraft and as representing the “very best” flight operations in the world.
And the “very best” can’t operate under radar for very long.
Published on Wednesday, May 27, 2009 .
Our media blogger from Down Under (a.k.a. Kevin Lowe) is working the red carpet in Las Vegas this week for Amway’s 50th anniversary. Be sure to check out Kevin’s new Amway Australia blog as he interviews Amway leaders from around the world. Though, we hope he doesn’t mind that we borrowed at least one of his video clips—it was too good to pass up.
Dr. Sam Rehnborg (below) is president of the Nutrilite Health Institute and son of Nutrilite founder Carl F. Rehnborg. Nutrilite has been part of Amway since the beginning, and remains one of our best selling brands.
We’re glad you could make it, Dr. Sam. It wouldn’t be an anniversary celebration without you!
Few people know the halls of Amway World Headquarters quite like our unofficial “mayor”.
He makes the travel to our newly redesigned Welcome Center in Ada, Michigan all the more worthwhile. As for his thoughts on our 50th anniversary:
“The first 50 years? It was a good start. We have to keep moving forward. That’s what [we've] always done.”
That wins our vote.
Published on Thursday, May 21, 2009 .
Much has been said and written about the private fireworks display Amway is hosting in downtown Grand Rapids this evening as part of its 50th anniversary celebration. This is an eight-minute display as part of a dessert reception for the company’s top distributors in the world.
And it’s probably the most discussed and debated short fireworks display in the history of, well, this company at least.
The truth is, anyone who’s downtown will be able to see the display. Some folks will have impressive views from their homes or condos. But to be honest, for the rest of us, an eight-minute fireworks display isn’t worth packing up the kids, driving downtown, and parking. Which is why we weren’t encouraging people to come down for a look.
We are, however, encouraging everyone and their neighbor to venture downtown for the July 4 fireworks in Grand Rapids. That will be a long and impressive display over the Grand Rapids skyline and we’re proud to be a sponsor.
That will be worth the drive.
Published on Saturday, May 16, 2009 .
We are gearing up for not one, but two anniversary events.
Amway turns 50 this year, and we are in full swing with milestone media coverage throughout the world right down to local markets here in western Michigan. We even launched a “50 Days Celebrating 50 Years” partnership with a regional radio network to air live interviews as well as ad spots promoting our company’s past, present and future.
As for the other anniversary, Amway is proud to be the majority sponsor of the “2009 July 4 Family Fireworks” in downtown Grand Rapids, celebrating Independence Day here in the United States. From Candace Matthews, our chief marketing officer:
“Amway has been a part of the Grand Rapids community for almost 50 years now. It is so important for us to share what we have done, with the community. Since it is our 50th anniversary and the city needed help with the fireworks, we saw an opportunity to blend the two.”
Be sure to check back in the coming days and weeks as Amway distributors descend from all over the world to celebrate our first—and next—50 years.
We relaunched Amway.com this week (as well as Amway.ca for our Canadian customers).
The redesigned website is more than just a new “look and feel.” We want the site to provide a fresh, contemporary perspective on our business, people and products.
Feel free to visit the new site, rediscover the Amway brand and learn more about the millions of lives we’ve impacted over the last 50 years.
Tell us what you think!
