MLM Company Shaklee Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago, during the era of synthetic fabrics, processed food and TV dinners, an Oakland chiropractor started a company to sell natural products to improve people's health. Even earlier, in 1915, before the concept of vitamins was widely understood, Dr. Forrest Shaklee had invented something called Vitalized Minerals.

Shaklee Corp., the MLM company he founded, now operates in Pleasanton, selling vitamins and other nutritional supplements, natural makeup and biodegradable cleaning products through a multilevel marketing force of 750,000 distributors and members.

Later this week, 10,000 Shaklee distributors will converge on San Francisco's Moscone Center for their annual conference and 50th anniversary celebration. They'll hear from such luminaries as Nobel Peace Prize-winner Wangari Maathai, Arctic explorer Will Steger and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.