NBTY
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Supplement marketer/retailer to purchase NatureSmart (formerly Amrion) from Whole Foods Market for $28 mil., firm announces May 11. Acquisition will enable NBTY to reach healthcare professionals, a sector targeted by NatureSmart's PhysioLogics. Acquired nutritional supplement firm also sells BioEnergy Nutrients and Healthsmart Vitamins mail order brands, which have roughly 350,000 active customers, as well as Brand Partners, which manufactures private label vitamins for mass market. Whole Foods had been looking to sell NatureSmart for several months, attributing a $49 mil. loss to the business. Thornton, Colo.-based NatureSmart recorded net sales of approximately $59 mil. and net assets of roughly $19 mil. for fiscal 2000 (ended Sept. 29)