Former Vitamin Shoppe boss takes hot seat at Twinlab

By Elaine Watson

- Last updated on GMT

Related tags Vitamin shoppe Nutrition Dietary supplement Twinlab

Tolworthy: Dynamic leadership
Tolworthy: Dynamic leadership
Dietary supplements and sports nutrition giant Twinlab has appointed former Vitamin Shoppe chief executive Tom Tolworthy as its new president and chief executive.

Tolworthy, who helped Vitamin Shoppe boost its store footprint from 80 outlets to 500 during his six-year tenure at the helm, is also a director at Vitamin Angels, a non-profit organization that donates vitamins for use in developing areas and countries. He replaces Bill Nicholson, who remains a board member and co-owner at Twinlab.

“I am truly delighted and privileged to have this opportunity to join Twinlab and become a part of the team that has built a legacy brand in the dietary supplement industry that has stood the test of time,”​ said Tolworthy, who has most recently been in the driving seat at retailer Performance Bicycle.

“This is an exciting era within the health and wellness sector, and as I dig into my new role, I see the opportunities and possibilities for Twinlab to be infinite.“

Solid double-digit growth in 2011

While Twinlab has had a chequered past, filing for Chapter 11 protection against bankruptcy in 2003, it was snapped up by IdeaSphere Inc the following year and has been performing strongly over the past two years, director of marketing Marc Stover told NutraIngredients-USA.com last week ​.

Sales were up more than 10% in 2010 and another year of double-digit growth was also on the cards for 2011 as the firm ramped up marketing activities, he predicted.

“Twinlab has been around a long time and we feel like it’s time for people to re-acquaint themselves with the brand. We’ve got a lot of innovative products to come... we’re looking at different sources of protein and more in the heart, joint and cognition areas.”

There would also be a continued focus on krill, he said. “Last year we launched a krill product with more krill than any other krill softgel and we’ve also put a lot of work into our Marine Friends children’s omega-3 powder for kids ​[a powdered blend of EPA and DHA in stick packs that can be added to food and drink].”

A recent deal with NFL star Ray Lewis to promote Twinlab’s new pre-workout supplement Powerfuel reflected a heavy investment in marketing this year, added Stover, who is relying on Lewis to “lead a rejuvenation of our sports nutrition lines”.

Dynamic leadership

Bill Nicholson, co-founder of Ideasphere, said he was thrilled to have attracted a leader of Tolworthy’s caliber to head up Twinlab: “Tom’s dynamic executive leadership and proven track record for generating strong growth and improving profitability, coupled with his passion for the health and wellness industry, make him a perfect fit.”

Twinlab is a leading manufacturer and marketer of vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals, herbs and sports nutrition products under the Twinlab, Metabolife, Dr. Greene, TeaZen, Nature's Herbs, and Alvita Teas brands.

Click here ​to read the interview with Marc Stover at Twinlab.

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