Pharmavite LLC, one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of high-quality vitamins, minerals and other dietary supplements, including Nature Made® vitamins, will officially announce the opening of the company's new manufacturing facility at the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park in Opelika, Ala. during a grand opening ceremony that is being held June 7 at 10 a.m. Nature Made is the number one retail national vitamin and supplement brand in the United States, and the new facility is a key part of Pharmavite's strategic plan to meet the growing global consumer demand for health and wellness products.

The U.S. dietary supplement industry has tripled in size since 1995 and is expected to grow at a similar annual growth rate through 2020, and Pharmavite believes the new facility is well-positioned to meet that need. Growth in the U.S. dietary supplements market has been driven by greater consumer awareness and usage of vitamins and supplements, and according to the Nutrition Business Journal, as of 2010, 66 percent of American adults use dietary supplements at least occasionally, up from 52 percent in 1999. What's more, even existing consumers of dietary supplements are buying approximately 20 percent more supplements per month in 2010 than they were in 1999.

"Pharmavite has been a pioneer in this industry for more than 40 years. Our new facility in Opelika will help us continue our leadership role and supports our vision of people creating new products for better health worldwide, which is the mission we share with our parent company, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.," said Doug MacLean, CEO of Pharmavite. "We are grateful to everyone who contributed to the planning and building process for our new Opelika facility, and we look forward to a bright future for this community, our company, and the vitamin and supplement industry as a whole."

"At 330,000 square feet, the Opelika-based Pharmavite facility is one of the largest vitamin, mineral and supplement (VMS) manufacturing facilities built in the last 10 years in the United States," said Mark Walsh, chief operating officer of Pharmavite. "This facility is also the first dietary supplement manufacturing facility in Alabama, bringing a new industry to the state."

"Pharmavite's Opelika facility will carry on our tradition of setting high standards of quality in all areas, from our production facilities, to rigorous testing and third-party verification programs, to conducting the scientific research on our products and producing groundbreaking vitamin innovations," continued Walsh. "We set high standards in all that we do, and our Opelika facility will carry on this legacy."

Pharmavite broke ground for the new facility on October 31, 2011 and began manufacturing Nature Made soft gels and tablets in Opelika on January 12 of this year. As part of Pharmavite's commitment to improving the environment in the community, the facility is the first major vitamin and supplement manufacturing site in the United States to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified.

Pharmavite invested approximately $73 million in capital in 2012 and will invest an additional $16.6 million in 2013. The Opelika facility currently employs approximately 245 employees and expects to have 260 employees by year end.

Company leaders were joined by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley, Alabama Representative and Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard, Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller, and local community and business leaders for the announcement.

"We are excited to officially welcome Pharmavite and announce their facility opening here in Opelika," said Alabama Governor Robert Bentley. "We have gotten to know the company and its leaders very well over the past several years as we've traveled the road to where we are today - bringing jobs and capital into our great state. We anticipate many more years of strong partnership."