Thorne's Transition to South Carolina

After nearly five years of examining more than 25 potential locations, numerous rounds of detailed design planning, and final construction, we are justifiably excited to be nearing the completion of our new facility in Summerville, South Carolina in late June, located just outside the great city of Charleston.

This state-of-the art, 272,000-square foot facility will provide Thorne and its customers with significant enhancements to research and development, manufacturing capacity and efficiencies, in-house laboratory and testing capabilities, and materials management and shipping. It will also allow us to provide our customers with a state-of-the-art experience for medical education, while enjoying the City of Charleston and all the amenities that it offers.

This will be Thorne’s new home and the foundation for our growth and continued commitment to our customers.

The extensive investment behind this facility and our workforce demonstrates Thorne’s commitment to continue manufacturing all of our products in the United States and to providing the very best in innovation and quality to our growing and loyal customer base.

We believe that operating all aspects of our business in the United States and committing to a diverse employment base in and around Charleston, will allow Thorne to push the quality control, transparency, and customer service envelopes to new heights.

Our transition to our new facility is already well underway. We are pleased and proud that nearly half of our Idaho-based workforce will relocate and remain with Thorne. Half of those are now in South Carolina assisting with our transition.

Recruiting for the required South Carolina workforce is on track, and while all employees were given the opportunity to move, we have a comprehensive employee retention program in place for those who have chosen not to relocate to South Carolina.

We recognize and take very seriously the significant responsibility of moving our operations across the United States, while maintaining our quality, product supply, and customer service during the transition. During this period, which we expect to conclude this September, we plan to conduct joint manufacturing operations in both Idaho and South Carolina until the end of August, at which time manufacturing in Idaho will cease.

Detailed production plans, including contingencies, have been prepared for both Idaho and South Carolina.

We have been building excess inventories of our high-volume products that are manufactured in-house, and we plan to have safety-stock inventories on hand to carry us through September as required.

Despite all our planning and best efforts to the contrary, there may be circumstances where we experience some short-term issues in inventories, shipping, etc. If such circumstances should occur, then we sincerely apologize in advance, and we will make every attempt to notify you in advance of any problem and the plans to resolve it. So far, we have not had any disruptive issues.

We are excited about our new facility and all the possibilities for better serving our customers. We are also extremely grateful to our staff, who have endured a difficult period whether they are staying in Idaho or transitioning to South Carolina.

Although we tried hard to implement the fairest of programs for those who chose not to relocate, we also know that this is a time of sadness for many employees who simply cannot make the move due to family reasons.

We plan to continue to apprise you of our transition as we progress through September, and we thank you for your patience. We believe we have created a special place where our customers can visit and feel welcomed by the tremendous efforts of our staff and everything that the culture and beauty of Charleston, South Carolina, can offer.