Arbonne International™: MLM Superhero™ Helps Save the Day for Arbonne™ Distributors Looking for a New Home

Arbonne International™ LLC’s Parent Company - Natural Products Group™, owner of the Nature's Gate™ line of organic shampoos and soap, filed for bankruptcy protection on Wednesday with the support of its lenders and expects to exit Chapter 11 in two months. Industry statistics show that in any time of change, many Distributors typically look for a new home. MLM Superhero™ is helping to save the day for the Distributors that are looking to make an exciting new change in 2010 -. and wishes Arbonne International™ great success in their restructure and in the future.

(PRWEB) January 30, 2010

Beverly Hills, CA News of Arbonne International™ LLC’s Parent Company – Natural Products Group™ filing for Bankruptcy Protection yesterday – sent ripples through both the MLM and Direct Sales Industries, as Reuters made the announcement. Arbonne International markets a line of weight management products under the name “Figure 8”, and line of personal care products under the name “NutriMinC RE9”.

According to MLM Superhero™ - Tom Hals of Reuter’s Reported:

Natural Products Group™ reported assets of $286 million and liabilities of a staggering $804 million. Lenders holding 90 percent of the bank loans voted in favor of the restructuring, which will cut the company's outstanding debt by 80 percent, the company said in a statement.

The company plans to borrow up to $20 million to fund operations during its bankruptcy, known as a debtor-in-possession loan. Lenders owed approximately $530 million will end up owning 85 percent of the reorganized company's equity under the restructuring plan. They will also have a new term loan worth $125 million.

Lenders owed about $216 million under a separate loan will be allocated warrants that will allow them to purchase up to 5 percent of the equity in the reorganized company. Harvest Partners LP, a New York private equity firm, owns the prebankruptcy equity in Natural Products Group™ and it will be wiped out”.

Harvest formed Natural Products Group™ in 2004 to buy Arbonne International™ LLC, a direct marketer of personal care products, and Levlad Inc, which owns the Nature's Gate line. Harvest, with other investors, provided $93 million of equity for the acquisitions.

Natural Products Group™, based in Irvine, California, said in court documents that it grew rapidly in 2005 and 2006 as Arbonne added a large number of direct marketing contractors, providing an unsustainable boost to revenue.

The company's net sales began to fall in 2007-2009 due to a loss of direct marketers and downturn in the economy. While the bankruptcy wipes out the initial investors, Natural Products Group™ paid them $200 million in dividends in 2005, according to a company statement dated Jan. 4, 2006.

Natural Products Group's annual revenue consists of $378 million from Arbonne™ and $73 million from the Levlad businesses. Natural Products Group™ employs 867 people worldwide, according to court documents.

Arbonne™ has a direct sales network of 750,000 independent contractors and the company said they would receive their pay and compensation as usual during the bankruptcy.

The case is In re Natural Products Group LLC, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Delaware, No. 10-10239. (Reporting by Tom Hals; Additional reporting by Santosh Nadgir in Bangalore).

"One thing that will always stay consistent with change are the statistics" stated Darren Little, CEO of MLM Superhero. "In any time of change, 50% of the people are okay it - and 50% of the people aren't. This is a phenomenon that has existed since the beginning of time. It is the goal of MLM Superhero - to simply help the 50% of the people that are looking for a new and positive change in 2010 and beyond".

MLM Superhero™ searches the globe for the most cutting edge home based businesses that stand the test of time. We do all of the research, so you don't have to. Click here to find out about our next hot pick for the home based business market, or simply find out how to turbocharge your existing MLM or Direct Sales Company faster than a speeding bullet.

Arbonne International™ and MLM Superhero™ are both in the Direct Sales/Network Marketing Industry. Darren Little is the President, CEO of MLM Superhero™. He is the co-author of MLM Affiliate Magic™ and a contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Network Marketers' Soul™ with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. He has shared the stage with Anthony Robbins, T. Harv Eker, Dr. Lee Pulos and Dr. Dov Baron just to name a few. Darren teaches Network Marketers the importance of personal branding and how to generate an endless supply of leads for their business.

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