Idaho company named to most trusted brands list

An Idaho Falls-based company owned by the state’s wealthiest person has been deemed one of the country’s most trusted.

Recently, USA Today named Melaleuca: The Wellness Company as one “America’s Most Trusted Brands,” in its 2025 study, which surveyed more than 24,000 consumers and analyzed 359,000 brand reviews. The study looked at companies in everything from banking and hardware to hospitality and technology.

Melaleuca received four and a half stars as its rating.

Five areas were looked at by USA Today when compiling the study, which included emotional connection, trust and transparency, likelihood to purchase, alignment with personal values and reliability.

“In these crazy times, when people don’t know who to trust, it’s gratifying to learn that a national publication has determined that our company is one that consumers say they trust the most,” said Frank VanderSloot, the executive chairman of the company.

VanderSloot, who took over the company in 1985, was named to Forbes’ 400 Richest People in America list in 2023, the only person in Idaho named to the list. At the time, his net worth was $3.3 billion.

Brands that were named to the list also went through a two-year monitoring process by Critical Mention, which looked at legal, ethical and public trust issues through brands’ media. “Only those brands that passed both the consumer trust thresholds and the reputational checks were awarded the distinction of being named one of American’s Most Trusted Brands,” a release stated.

Evaluation covered only brands that consumers personally used or were familiar with.

Melaleuca, which is membership-based, stated that its products are made in the U.S. and that it has a 96% monthly reorder rate.

“Forty years of keeping promises, quality products and ethical behavior by our management team, our employees and our marketing executives have earned this recognition,” VanderSloot said. “Which is really an endorsement by the American consumer.”

He added that the award means a lot to the company since it did not apply or “seek” the award. “We did not even know that this research was going on. But we are extremely proud to be named amont the 500 most trust brands in America.”

Along with its business operations, Melaleuca works to help the community not only within Idaho’s borders but throughout the country, pointing to various ways it gives back:

• Melaleuca sent products to firefighters and personal hygiene items to shelters and provided financial assistance to many customers affected by the fires in Los Angeles earlier this year.
• It sent a semitruck throughout the region to deliver products and beef to local churches, food banks and shelters to southeast states devastated by Hurricane Helene — the company also sent cash to food banks to help them restock their shelves.
• The company donated more than 24,000 pounds of beef to The Idaho Foodbank helping to fight food insecurity in 2024.