Melaleuca shares over $3.2 million in longevity bonuses with 220 team members who help build it

The following is a news release from Melaleuca: The Wellness Company.

IDAHO FALLS – Melaleuca handed out $3,261,312 Thursday through a special bonus program that rewarded 220 Team Members who have spent anywhere from five to 35 years helping build the company.

Melaleuca: The Wellness Company, one of the largest privately held companies in Idaho, manufactures and sells wellness products directly to consumers in the United States and around the world.

In front of a cheering crowd of colleagues at the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts in Idaho Falls, Team Members celebrating five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years walked across the stage to accept their Loyalty & Long-Term Contribution Bonus checks.

“Melaleuca loves to share the wealth with our Team Members who go the distance with us,” said Melaleuca Executive Chairman Frank VanderSloot. “This program is our way of showing deep appreciation for their loyalty and commitment.”

This year, Melaleuca paid $35,000 to eight Team Members celebrating 35 years, $30,000 to seven at 30 years and $25,000 to six at 25 years. It also paid $20,000 net (approximately $33,000 gross) to 47 at 20 years, $15,000 to 24 at 15 years, $10,000 to 43 at 10 years and $5,000 to 85 at five years.

Of this year’s recipients, 175 work in Idaho, 42 in Tennessee, two in Puerto Rico and one in Missouri.

How Melaleuca’s longevity bonus works

Melaleuca’s longevity bonus, officially called the Loyalty & Long-Term Contribution Bonus, rewards Team Members for their years of service. Team Members receive a longevity bonus at every five-year milestone, with the amount based on $1,000 for each year worked. Length of service is the only qualification, so a custodian and a vice president receive the same amount at the same milestone.

Programs like this are exceptionally rare in the private sector. In 2026, just 3 percent of workers had access to a longevity bonus, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and comparable programs offered far smaller awards than Melaleuca’s $5,000 – $35,000.

At 20 years, Melaleuca pays the bonus net of taxes, so recipients take home the full $20,000.

Additionally, the program continues through 40 years, when the bonus reaches $40,000.

More than $48 million paid since 2007

Since the program began in 2007, Melaleuca has paid $48,081,342 in longevity bonuses to 2,193 different Team Members, with many of them receiving additional bonuses as they reached later five-year milestones.

Melaleuca pays competitively, and the longevity bonus goes beyond regular pay, profit sharing, benefits and incentives. It exists because Melaleuca’s management team believes those who have helped build Melaleuca should share in its success.

This year alone, the 220 Team Members receiving bonuses represent a combined 2,795 years of service to the company.

In their words: Six team member experiences

For many of this year’s recipients, the years at Melaleuca are tied to some of the biggest parts of their lives, such as raising families, making lifelong friends, taking on new opportunities and planning for what comes next.

“Through Melaleuca, I have met some amazing people and have formed lifelong friendships,” said Norma Dickson, customer care receptionist, who celebrated her 35th anniversary. “Because of Melaleuca, I have been given opportunities to travel for free to Hawaii, the Bahamas and take my boys, as a single mom to Disney World. Plus, the longevity bonus has been a great blessing! I have been able to put money toward my retirement.”

Becky Clapp, a purchasing specialist who also reached 35 years, reflected that this milestone represents far more than time on the job.

“Through various stages of life, Melaleuca has been my one constant, providing support and incredible opportunities for my personal and professional growth. Our company’s mission of enhancing lives clearly pertains to us daily as employees in the workplace. I have been blessed to work alongside some of the very best individuals, many of whom have become lifelong friends. Melaleuca is truly family to me! It is a privilege to be part of our team and witness the outstanding continued growth and success.”

For Heather Rich, director of supply chain systems, the relationships built over 35 years have become especially meaningful during some of life’s most difficult moments.

“Thirty-five years in a marriage is considered a major milestone. While certainly not the same, spending that many years with a company also creates strong bonds,” Rich said. “I will be forever grateful for the relationships I’ve built during my time at Melaleuca, the shared experiences that have brought both strength and laughter, the inspiring examples that have made me a better person, and the true friends who have supported me through three losses in my family, including two in the past year. Those relationships are what I will treasure most.”

Glenna Broadfoot, a business review specialist, wasn’t thinking about a long career when she started in 1991. Her plans were far more temporary.

“When I started at Melaleuca, I saw it as a way to move out of my parents’ house and buy a car. I never imagined that job would turn into a lifelong career that has helped to support my family and brought me unforgettable experiences and friendships that have changed my life for the better.”

“Now, as retirement seems to be approaching faster than I would like, the longevity bonus means more than ever,” Broadfoot added. “It’s helping me prepare for the future with a sense of security and peace of mind that I’m incredibly grateful for.”

Bridgette Sheppard, HR business partner, can see part of her career every time she walks into Melaleuca Global Headquarters. She was part of the team that helped design it.

“I’ve been fortunate to work with truly amazing people and had opportunities I never would have imagined when I started over 30 years ago, including being part of the design team for our Global Headquarters. I’m very proud to have been a part of that beautiful process,” Sheppard said.

“Melaleuca has truly enhanced my life in so many ways,” Sheppard added. “It has been part of my family’s story for as long as my children can remember, and they have grown up with Melaleuca being such a big part of our lives. I’m very grateful for the experiences, friendships, and opportunities I’ve had along the way, and especially grateful to have spent so many years with a company whose mission has meant so much to me and my family.”

For Dan Jewell, Melaleuca became part of the place his family calls home.

“We came to the Idaho Falls area 25 years ago not knowing where my career would lead us,” said Jewell, senior manager of editing and translation. “And we’ve stayed because Melaleuca has been a great place to work, because I’ve worked with fantastic people, because I’ve felt valued for my contributions, and because we live in a wonderful community. I’m grateful for Melaleuca’s efforts to share their appreciation with long-term Team Members.”

Longevity bonus: Money meant to grow

Melaleuca doesn’t present the bonus as spending money. Team Members are encouraged to save it, invest it and put it to work for their future.

Before checks are handed out, recipients attend a meeting, where they converse about investing, the power of compound growth and saving for retirement.

This year, Chief Information Officer Todd Sorenson led this practical discussion. They covered what Team Members can do with the check they are about to receive and the financial decisions that can make a difference years from now.

His message was simple: Don’t just think about what the bonus is worth today. Think about what it could become.

“The best thing you can give your money is time,” Sorenson said. “A $5,000 bonus invested early in your career can be worth far more than a much bigger check received years later. Starting early can make a tremendous difference by the time you’re ready to retire.”

Retire as a millionaire

A Team Member who invests each longevity bonus, takes full advantage of the company’s 401(k) match and earns a modest return over a 30-year career has the potential to retire with more than $1 million.

The first check can be especially valuable because it has the most time to grow. For example, a single $5,000 check invested at a 7% annual return would grow to about $38,000 over 30 years.

“It’s our goal that all Melaleuca Team Members will retire as millionaires,” VanderSloot has said.

Hired, trained & promoted from within

Melaleuca hires, trains and promotes from within, and many Team Members build careers that last for decades. The company promoted 225 Team Members in 2025 and 139 so far in 2026. Melaleuca’s average Team Member tenure is nearly three times the national average. At its Tennessee manufacturing plant, Melaleuca’s average tenure reaches 14 years, while Team Members in Puerto Rico average 16.4 years.

Melaleuca currently employs more than 1,900 Team Members in the United States, including 1,475 in Idaho. The company continues to attract thousands of job candidates, too. Melaleuca received 16,924 job applications from January through September 2026, and current Team Members referred 883 friends and family members for open positions.

“There’s real strength in having Team Members who have been here for 15, 25 or 35 years working alongside someone who started six months ago,” said Chief Human Resources Officer Jamie Reynolds. “They know the business, they understand our mission and they consistently show the next generation of Team Members what enhancing lives looks like.”

Recognized as one of America’s best employers

In February 2026, Forbes named Melaleuca one of America’s Best Midsize Employers for the fourth time. Melaleuca has earned seven Forbes employer awards since 2020.

But perhaps the strongest evidence of what it means to build a successful career at Melaleuca comes from the 220 people who walked across the stage this year.

For the 85 Team Members who received their first longevity bonus this year, the next milestone comes in 2031. And if Melaleuca’s history is any indication, many of them will be there to collect it.

For those interested in joining Melaleuca: The Wellness Company on its mission to enhance lives, click here.