Swanson Health Products
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Natural health products, dietary supplements, retail |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Leland Swanson Sr. |
| Headquarters | Fargo , United States |
Key people | Leland Swanson Jr. (former), Swander Pace Capital (owner since 2016) |
| Products | Vitamins, dietary supplements, natural wellness products, non-prescription medications, organic foods |
Number of employees | 10 (circa 1980) |
| Website | swansonvitamins |
Swanson Health Products (SHP) operates as a natural health catalog and online marketing firm based in Fargo, North Dakota.
History
Founded in 1969 by Leland Swanson Sr. in Fargo, Swanson Health Products originated from the passion of a self-taught natural health advocate. Swanson attributes his inspiration to figures such as Linus Pauling, Irwin Stone, Roger J. Williams, Paul Bragg, and Adelle Davis.
Swanson's interest in supplementation began with vitamin E, and by 1968, he regularly consumed multiple vitamins and supplements. To sustain his personal stock, he started purchasing in large quantities. After acquiring 5,000 vitamin E capsules, he commenced supplement sales via mail order and soon began producing small catalogs.
By 1980, SHP had grown to approximately 10 employees operating from a retail location in downtown Fargo. In 1982, the company relocated its mail order production and distribution to a 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) facility. During the 1990s, SHP launched its website, swansonvitamins.com. In 2001, the business consolidated its call center, customer support, marketing, manufacturing, warehousing, and shipping departments into a 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2) facility while continuing to maintain the original storefront.
In January 2016, following the retirement of Leland Swanson Jr., Swanson Health Products was acquired by Swander Pace Capital, a private equity firm that focuses on investments in growing consumer products companies within the middle market.
Beginning in January 2019, SHP expanded its product line to include items containing cannabidiol derived from industrial hemp, which was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill.
Products and quality assurance
Swanson Health Products offers an extensive selection exceeding 26,000 items, including vitamins, dietary supplements, and environmentally conscious household cleaning solutions. The company markets over 20 proprietary Swanson-branded product lines that encompass natural wellness items alongside certain non-prescription medications and organic foods. Since 2001, SHP has engaged in independent third-party audits adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards to guarantee the quality of its finished goods. Additionally, SHP subjects its dietary supplements to evaluations by ConsumerLab.com for impartial safety and effectiveness assessments. As of September 8, 2016, ConsumerLab.com had reviewed only 25 out of the more than 26,000 supplements offered by Swanson.
FDA regulatory interactions
Swanson Health Products has experienced several regulatory interactions with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the agency responsible for overseeing dietary supplement marketing and labeling to prevent unapproved drug claims. In 2007, the FDA issued a warning letter to SHP regarding the sale of an unauthorized form of the prescription cholesterol medication Mevacor. Laboratory tests conducted by the FDA revealed that two of Swanson’s red yeast rice supplements contained notable concentrations of lovastatin, which is the active pharmaceutical ingredient found in Mevacor and its generic equivalents. The FDA's warning specified that products such as Red Yeast Rice and Red Yeast Rice/Policosanol Complex, which include red yeast rice enhanced with or containing added lovastatin and make claims related to lipid management and cardiovascular health benefits attributed to this compound, are prohibited from being marketed as dietary supplements.
External links
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