2011 – Carlson Laboratories
Carlson Laboratories was founded by Susan Carlson in 1965 at the kitchen table in her home. Susan, a pharmacist by training, had learned the benefits of natural (non-synthetic) Vitamin E by reading Adele Davis’ book Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit. In 1969, her husband John, a civil engineer, joined her in the business.
Carlson Laboratories has been a family owned and operated business for over 45 years. Today, daughters Carilyn Carlson and Kirsten Carlson are active in the business as President and Vice President for Marketing, respectively. Carlson Laboratories employees 125 people in 100,000 square feet of manufacturing and office space.
Since developing their first product, Carlson’s selection of products has grown to become the most complete line of natural vitamin E products in the world. A product development team made up of scientists, marketers and purchasing staff formulate Carlson Laboratories’ product. Their product range has expanded through the years to meet the nutritional needs of their customers. Product lines now include award-winning Norwegian fish oils, a full line of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, special formulations and nutritional supplements.
Carlson Laboratories has supported the natural products industry since the beginning. An early photo at the 4th SOHO in 1974 shows 7 month old Kirsten with the Carlsons at their booth! The Carlson family has, and continues to be, involved in the Natural Products Association. John Carlson served as Supply Chair, on the Standards Committee and the ComPLI committee, to name a few. Most recently, Carlson Laboratories donated a portion of the profits of their Vitamin E sales to the Natural Products Foundation, an organization founded to stimulate and support research, education and knowledge regarding dietary supplements, nutritional foods, and related products, with the overall objective of advancing the knowledge of the public, and thereby, improving the public health.
No one cares more about quality than the people who put their names on it, and Carlson Laboratories is dedicated to providing only the highest quality nutritional supplements.