Melaleuca Remains Open as Essential Business During COVID-19 Pandemic

Two of Idaho’s largest newspapers, the Idaho Statesman and the Post Register, published stories about Melaleuca’s operations and strong product demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the majority of Idaho businesses have temporarily closed as part of Governor Little’s stay-home order, Melaleuca status as “essential” allows it to continue manufacturing its health and wellness products and distributing them to customers around the world.

Idaho Statesman: Idaho biz Melaleuca says it is an essential service, will stay open through lockdown
By Audrey Dutton, March 26, 2020

Melaleuca has sold more hand sanitizer in the last 30 days as it usually does in a year.

That product is one of the reasons the Idaho Falls-based company decided it is an “Essential service” and will stay open through the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to Aaron Eddington, general counsel for Melaleuca.
. . .
Eddington told the Statesman that Melaleuca based its decision to stay open on the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency list of “essential to continued critical infrastructure viability” during the COVID-19 emergency. Melaleuca falls under the “food and agriculture” and “chemical” categories, he said.
. . .
Read full story at Idaho Statesman

Post Register: In wake of stay-home order, businesses face changes
By Sally Krutzig and Nathan Brown, March 26, 2020

On Wednesday, Gov. Brad Little issued an emergency stay-home order that included the mandate that all non-essential businesses must close.  The order will last 21 days.  Many businesses were suddenly faced with no choice but to close up shop.
. . .
Melaleuca is one of the area’s largest employers.  The wellness company had a bit of a jump-start on how to deal with the coronavirus compared to some other companies – its biggest market outside of the U.S. is China, where it has a corporate headquarters, two manufacturing facilities, four distribution centers and about 30 stores.  And unlike local employers that have had to close, scale back or lay off employees, business has been humming for the Idaho Falls-based company and its 1,650 or so employees in eastern Idaho.
. . .
Read full story at Post Register