News

The following feature is based on a translation of an article published in the Korea Marketing Newspaper (page 5) on April 26, 2023.

‘Sunrider will more than double in size’

Special interview

Founders of Sunrider International

Drs. Tei-Fu Chen & Oi-Lin Chen, Chairman of the Board

Drs. Tei-Fu Chen and Oi-Lin-Chen, the founders of Sunrider International, visited Korea recently. It has been five years since Dr. Tei-Fu Chen last visited Korea. The couple praised Sunrider Direct Korea’s 400% growth in sales, achieved despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and they described this achievement as "an amazing result." They also expressed their profuse love for Korea, saying that the Korean market will grow even more in the future. They also talked about why they decided to visit Korea after such a long time.

It's been a long time since you last visited Korea. Is there a special reason you came to Korea this time?

▶This is my first visit to Korea in five years; I visited to meet Sunrider Independent Business Owners (IBOs) and employees of Sunrider Direct Korea whom I hadn't met before. I’m thrilled just to be able to meet and shake hands with Korean IBOs here today.

Sunrider International celebrated its 40th anniversary last year, and a lot of things have happened in a short period of time, such as the establishment of its manufacturing facility in Texas and the good news about the new Sunrider CEO Sunny Beutler.

▶During that challenging time, I was away from my partners due to the pandemic. However, even though we were separated physically, we still felt connected, and we worked together to help each other. Of course, the pandemic has been extremely hard for many people. I'm a pharmacist, and my wife is a medical doctor, and while working in the medical field I've encountered all kinds of diseases, but I never expected that the COVID-19 pandemic would shut down the world. In the United States, our manufacturing facility and its machinery had been largely inoperable, and if this could have been anticipated, the establishment of the Sunrider Texas Manufacturing Plant could have been delayed. But now, everything is back to normal and products are being produced and shipped. We will double or triple the size of the company in two years. COVID-19 presented an opportunity to once again appreciate the value of Sunrider® products. Above all, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunrider Direct Korea has achieved the remarkable results of a 400% sales increase over the past four years after switching to a network marketing method.

You have been in business for 35 years in Korea. During this period, a lot of things have happened. Why didn’t you give up on the Korean market in the midst of various negative factors such as the pandemic and economic downturn?

▶There is no one who works as hard as Koreans. People in other regions don’t always want to work hard, but Koreans always work passionately. Of course, the Korean market is tricky, but there are numerous difficulties in every business. We are working through all the challenges and trying to give everyone the confidence that we will always be together. Sunrider was not built with only 10 or 20 years in mind, but because its vision is to be a company that will be passed down through generations, it invests unsparingly in its manufacturing facilities and buildings. I will always be with the Sunrider Korean family.

What are Sunrider's strengths compared to other global companies?

▶The first is our products and the second is our business opportunity. Do you know the difference between orange juice and an orange drink? Orange juice is made by squeezing oranges, while an orange drink is just an orange-flavored drink. As an analogy, Sunrider is like orange juice, rather than an orange drink. We make products from highly concentrated herbal extracts and based on our own uncompromising standards. Products are really important, because only good products can be proudly shared with people. We also offer a business opportunity. Sunrider is a place where the best products and the best business opportunities are available.

Do you have any future aspirations or goals for the Korean market?

▶Sunrider Direct Korea is expected to grow steadily in the future. If sales continue to increase, it’s expected that the day will come when a manufacturing plant will be established in Korea as well. It’s truly fortunate to be able to work happily and spend quality time with family. This is why working with the executives and employees of Sunrider is a very precious and enjoyable time for me. Now that the pandemic has come to an end, I plan to visit Korea often to meet the Sunrider family.