ViSalus Holdings LLC Announces Union With Blyth, Inc (NYSE: BTH)

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Weight Management and Nutritional
supplement maker ViSalus Holdings has announced an agreement to become a
member of Blyth's family of companies and successful brands. Blyth is a
leader in the direct selling industry and ViSalus provides innovative health
solutions through high quality wellness products such as the Vi-PAK Advanced
Anti-Aging and Energy System, ViSalus NEURO Smart Energy Drink, and the Trim
Slim Shape Program for healthy weight loss and weight management.
As part of the comprehensive agreement, Blyth's Chairman of the Board and
CEO, Robert B. Goergen, will be joining the ViSalus Board of Managers. The
Founders of ViSalus, Ryan Blair, Nick Sarnicola, and Blake Mallen, as well as
the ViSalus Management Team will remain in their roles and have renewed their
commitment toward building ViSalus into an international powerhouse in the
Health and Wellness Industry.
ViSalus, seed funded by Goergen Family's The Ropart Asset Management Funds
(http://www.ropart.com) in December of 2005, provides Blyth entry into the
lucrative and fast-growing health and wellness industry. Blyth provides
ViSalus capital, leverageable assets and domain expertise to facilitate
ViSalus' aggressive expansion plans over the next several years.
"During the past three years, ViSalus has made significant investments in
its technology, infrastructure and product pipeline to create what we believe
is a business model with a distinct competitive advantage. In partnership
with Blyth, we will leverage those investments to accelerate our expansion
while minimizing risk," said ViSalus CEO Ryan Blair.
Commenting on the alliance, Robert B. Goergen, Blyth's Chairman of the
Board and CEO, said, "Today's commitment builds further on Blyth's long-term
focus on direct-to-consumer sales opportunities. Importantly, we are able to
diversify within the direct selling channel with products that appeal to
different consumer segments." Mr. Goergen continued, "Our partnership with the
founders of ViSalus is mutually beneficial in that Blyth is entering a third
direct selling product category marketing consumable wellness goods and
ViSalus can leverage expertise from Blyth's direct selling core competency, as
well as various corporate functions required by a growing enterprise.
Moreover, longer term, our experience entering international markets should be
beneficial to ViSalus' expansion."
ViSalus Co-Founder and CMO Blake Mallen commented, "It feels great to know
that a cause we have put our lives into is now being recognized at this level.
The combination of Blyth's experience and global infrastructure will give us a
competitive edge in our channel."
"It is a proud day for ViSalus and our community of customers and
distributors that Blyth would consider our company a valuable addition to its
strategy," said ViSalus Co-Founder and CSO Nick Sarnicola.
ViSalus Vice President of Marketing and Branding, Audrey Sommerfeld,
commented, "We now stand alongside the elite brands of Blyth, Inc., and the
alliance of ViSalus and Blyth gives our customers and distributors an
unparalleled opportunity."
About ViSalus
ViSalus, with headquarters in Troy, Michigan and Los Angeles, CA, is a
leading Weight Management and Nutritional Supplement maker utilizing the
direct selling channel to distribute its products.
ViSalus may be found on the Internet at http://www.visalus.com
About The Ropart Asset Management Funds
The Ropart Asset Management Funds is a private equity firm that invests
directly in small to midsize companies. The firm pursues a flexible strategy,
investing throughout the capital structure and in multiple industries,
including Business Services, Healthcare Services, Consumer Products, Financial
Services, and Technology.
http://www.ropart.com
SOURCE ViSalus Holdings LLC

Alfred Hopton of B|W|R Public Relations, +1-310-550-7776, ahopton@bwr-la.com,
for ViSalus Holdings LLC