Three friends founded Solgar, one of the world's largest companies in herbal and natural medicines, in a pharmacy
Solgar was found in 1947 by Nat Colby, Mike Goldfarb and Carl Zoll, two pharmacists and a holistic physician. They all believe that preventing diseases with vitamins and minerals is better than treating them with pharmaceuticals.
Solgar's story begins in 1947 in Manhattan, New York. Along with pharmacists Nat Colby and Mike Goldfarb, who are passionate about the preventative effect of natural supplements, holistic doctor Carl Zoll founded Solgar Vitamin & Herb.
At the Manhattan pharmacy, they developed the first Solgar product: Naturvite. Three years later, N. Colby met young biochemist Allen Skolnick. Together, they continued to lay the foundations of the company with their own philosophy and a working understanding based on science, innovation, quality and honesty. In 1947 only one employee and one product were available.
Who is ALLEN SKOLNICK?
He was born in New York City and received his bachelor's degree in chemistry and biology from New York University. In 1970 he first became associated with the Solgar Company, a pioneering developer and marketer of dietary supplements which was originally established in 1947. He maintained a lifelong interest in the science of nutrition and wellness. Allen was the President of Solgar in 1998 when it was sold to American Home Products Corp. In 1995, Allen and his wife Connie established the CAMBR Foundation which has supported numerous national not-for-profit organizations for nearly fifteen years, including the American Jewish Committee, Hillel Foundation, Birthright Israel, the Weizmann Institute of Science and American Friends of Hebrew University.
APRIL 2021: Sold to Nestle
Swiss company Nestle SA announced that it has acquired the main brands of the US vitamin and nutritional supplement company The Bountiful Company for $5.75 billion.
The Swiss company said in a statement that the assets it has acquired include brands such as Nature's Bounty, Solgar, Osteo Bi-Flex and Puritan's Pride.
“This acquisition complements our existing health and nutrition portfolio for brands and channels,” said Greg Behar, CEO of Nestle Health Science.
The acquired brands had sales of $1.87 billion by March 2021.
Solgar Milestones
1947 Solgar is founded and for the first time, high-potency natural multivitamin and mineral supplements are prepared.
1968 For the first time, supplements are developed that do not contain substances that can cause allergies, such as salt, starch, and sugar. Preservatives, artificial flavors and fragrances have been completely removed from the product ingredients. Only natural resources began to be used.
1975 The first multivitamin containing chelated minerals is developed.
1989 The first multivitamin containing a mixture of amino acids was developed.
1993 Solgar introduces Vegicaps: the first vegetarian capsule
1995 The first website providing information about nutritional supplements was launched on the Internet.
1999 Solgar adds the first non-GMO soy products to its product range.
2022 Product variety exceeded 500; The number of countries where sales are made has reached 55.