SHAKLEE CEO ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND PROPOSES NEW BUSINESS MODELS TO HELP AGING POPULATION REMAIN PRODUCTIVE

Roger Barnett, Chairman and CEO of Shaklee Corporation, unveiled business models for successful aging as a part of a keynote address presented at the recent 2005 White House Conference on Aging. The comments earned him a tremendous reception from the 1,200 attending delegates. The address came near the end of the four-day event, held every 10 years, during which resolutions concerning national aging policies were selected for later presentation to the President and Congress.

Themed "The Booming Dynamics of Aging: From Awareness to Action," the conference was held in Washington, D.C. from December 11 through 14, 2005. Mr. Barnett was present at the invitation of the Honorable Dorcas Hardy, Chairman of the Policy Committee, and Dr. Mary Furlong, a California delegate and founder of SeniorNet and ThirdAge.

In unscripted comments, Mr. Barnett emphasized the need to develop business models and health opportunities for the 78 million aging baby boomers, some of whom will begin turning 60 in January 2006. "The public and private sectors need to work together to develop policies that will help the aging baby boomers remain a productive and engaged part of society," said Barnett. "They need to be offered opportunities that will not discriminate based on age, sex, race, education, or economic background. The Shaklee business model is one such example, and there are many others...but there needs to be more."

Underscoring his statement that success is not limited by age, Mr. Barnett showed some photos of Shaklee Distributors from ages 64 to 100 who continue to be active in their businesses. He then pointed out that Shaklee's founder, Dr. Shaklee, started the company at age 61 and lived to see it transform into a Fortune 500 company during his 80s.

Other points presented in Mr. Barnett's address included the following:

Aging baby boomers need to be educated about proactive steps they should be taking now, such as dietary supplementation, that could enhance productivity into their 70s, 80s and even 90s;
The tax impact, if the baby boomers continue working into later life, could be significant; the resulting higher tax revenues would benefit us all; and
Life does not have to end at retirement; for many, it is just the beginning of a new phase.
Shaklee was a corporate sponsor of the conference, joining other high-profile companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Genworth Financial, and Aetna. For the first time, the conference featured an exhibition that was open to the public. Organized into two pavilions, Technology and Healthy Lifestyle, the exhibition provided an opportunity to review products and services available to assist older Americans. Shaklee, part of the Healthy Lifestyle pavilion, was the only natural dietary supplement company represented at the conference.

About Shaklee Corporation
Since it was founded in 1956, Shaklee Corporation has led the way in environmental stewardship and social responsibility for improving the well-being of people around the world. One of the first companies to develop a biodegradable cleaner to help reduce pollution, Shaklee Corporation has also helped plant one million trees in Asia and in 2002 became the first Climate Neutral™ company to receive the EPA's Climate Protection Award for having a net zero impact on climate change.

For 50 years, Shaklee has been a leading provider of premium quality, natural nutrition and personal care products, environmentally-friendly household products, and state-of-the-art air and water treatment systems. The Shaklee brand is synonymous with high quality and efficacy, representing one of the most well-established names in the nutritional supplement and direct selling industries. With a robust product portfolio, including over 48 patents and patents pending worldwide, Shaklee operates in Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico and the U.S., and has over 700,000 members worldwide. For more information, visit www.mcaseyenterprises.com

This release was published on openPR.