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This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
Among the lush forests of the French Polynesian islands grows a fruit renowned for its healing properties. Tahitians call the fruit noni and have been using it for thousands of years. Now the fruit is available to the rest of the world through Tahitian Noni International.
Several years ago in 1994, food scientist and Utah native John Wadsworth was given a gallon of noni juice from a friend. The juice smelled horrible and tasted almost as bad, yet those who tried the juice noticed an improvement in their health. So, John set out to find the fruit, which he mistakenly called nono. After roaming the jungles of Tahiti, John and his guide found only a variety of native mosquitoes called nono. Even after learning of his error, John didn't give up, and on his way out, he found himself gazing across forests rich with Morinda citrifolia trees, the bearers of noni fruit.
John teamed up with fellow Utah food scientist Stephen Story and the two immediately set out researching the nutritional properties of the fruit and ways to make the juice more palatable. John and Stephen discovered that mixing noni juice with blueberry and grape juices not only increased the vitamin C content and antioxidant properties of the juice, but also made the noni drink taste better. In 1996, John and Stephen, along with three other partners, collaborated and named their drink TAHITIAN NONI® Juice and their company Morinda, Inc., after the tree which produces noni fruit. The company is now called Tahitian Noni International.
During their first year in business, Tahitian Noni International yielded $6 million in sales, and after five years did $392 million in sales, making it one of the fastest-growing private companies of all time. Tahitian Noni International opened its new headquarters last month in Provo and will soon open a new bottling and research and development facility in American Fork.
Along with TAHITIAN NONI Juice, Tahitian Noni International markets creams, protein shake mixes, shampoos, and a variety of other products that contain noni. Those interested in learning more can visit www.TahitianNoni.com.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
