Thorne Research merges with Diversified Natural Products

IBR Staff//July 12, 2010//

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Thorne Research, a Sandpoint company that manufactures nutritional supplements for humans and animals, has merged with Diversified Natural Products and plans to expand its manufacturing operations.

Thorne employs about 160 people in Sandpoint, where it manufactures, packages, and ships nutritional supplements nationally and internationally.

Thorne announced its merger with DNP June 23. An immediate result will be the hiring of some additional salespeople, said Al Czap, who co-founded the company in 1984.

“The plan is to expand manufacturing over the medium term, so that will be more jobs,” said Czap, who stepped down as chief executive officer when the merger was completed. Czap remains a shareholder and a consultant for the company.

The company will not leave Sandpoint, Czap said.

“There is room on this property to expand,” he said. “You could increase by more than double the size of the building.”

The Boston-based WestView Capital Partners and Tudor Ventures provided acquisition and growth financing in the transaction. The combined entity will continue to operate as Thorne Research.