Abandon Ship

Case file · Nutrition For Life · 1984–2003

An investigation

Abandon Ship

The untold story of the Nutrition For Life takeover

Watch the film Read the case file

“Just as surely as day follows night, and night follows day, Nutrition For Life is doomed to failure.”

David P. Bertrand, “Why I Left Nutrition For Life”Hear it · 0:13

The Film18 min

17:56

Abandon Ship

From a Houston start-up to a $97 million public company, through the sale to Jerry Kramer’s Everest group, a cash-starved relaunch and the consultant who took over. David Bertrand’s account of how the ship he helped build went down.

  1. 0:00Cold open
  2. 0:50Part One: The Company
  3. 4:03Part Two: The Deal
  4. 6:51Part Three: The Squeeze
  5. 11:58Part Four: The Takeover
  6. 15:14Part Five: Abandon Ship
  7. 17:11Epilogue: Starting Over

The Casein dates

  1. 1984

    David Bertrand, Jana Mitcham and Tom “Big Al” Schreiter build the company that becomes Nutrition For Life, in Houston.

    In the film · 1:12

  2. 1996

    Sales reach $97 million. Critical press, shareholder suits and an SEC inquiry follow. The SEC closes its inquiry with no action taken.

    In the film · 1:46

  3. March 1997

    A record: $1.5 million in sales in a single day.

    In the film · 2:50

  4. Dec 29, 2000

    Advanced Nutraceuticals announces the sale of Nutrition For Life to Everest, led by Jerry Kramer.

    In the film · 4:54

  5. June 13, 2001

    The sale closes. The company receives $3.2 million in cash, not the $5 million in the terms.

    In the film · 6:05

  6. Sept 2001

    The Super Fast Track has recruiting moving. Then September 11th stops the momentum.

    In the film · 9:13

  7. Nov 2001

    Kramer and David ask the investor, Art Preston, for cash.

    In the film · 9:27

  8. July 2002

    Consultant John Neubauer arrives. Within about three days, David says, he is named CEO.

    In the film · 12:07

  9. Aug 2002

    Two weeks before the Denver convention, the plan is thrown out and started over.

    In the film · 13:20

  10. Sept 2002

    After eighteen years, David Bertrand resigns.

    In the film · 15:08

  11. Jan 2003

    Nutrition For Life announces a sponsorship deal with the Continental Basketball Association.

    In the film · 16:13

  12. July 2003

    Nutrition For Life is declared Chapter 7.

    In the film · 16:37

The Playersas named in the film

The Evidencefrom the public record

  1. Exhibit A

    NutritionForLife.com · “Track Record”

    April 1997

    “Today, Nutrition For Life International has one of the few network marketing plans in the country that has been subjected to the scrutiny of major federal and state regulatory bodies with no action taken.” — David Bertrand

    Open the record In the film · 2:19

  2. Exhibit B

    SEC · Advanced Nutraceuticals, Inc. · Exhibit 99.1

    December 29, 2000

    “To me, Jerry Kramer is a legend and a true American hero, and we are excited about the prospect of working with him and his team,” said David Bertrand, President of NFLI.

    Open the record In the film · 4:54

  3. Exhibit C

    NutritionForLife.com · “The New Nutrition For Life”

    June 2001

    Q. What are the principal benefits to Nutrition For Life? A. …the massive financial backing available through this alliance will help Nutrition For Life wage its aggressive campaign for growth…

    Open the record In the film · 5:15

  4. Exhibit D

    SEC · Advanced Nutraceuticals, Inc. · Exhibit 99.1

    Houston, June 13, 2001

    …has completed the sale of its network marketing subsidiary, Nutrition For Life International, Inc. At closing the Company received $3.2 million in cash…

    Not onlineIn the film · 6:05

  5. Exhibit E

    Advanced Nutraceuticals · Letter to shareholders

    2001

    On June 13, 2001 we completed the sale of NFLI. The sale of NFLI significantly improved ANI’s financial condition by generating $3.2 million of cash from the cash portion of the purchase price.

    Open the record In the film · 6:18

  6. Exhibit F

    NutritionForLife.com · Management team

    December 31, 2002

    John Neubauer, CEO. John has an extensive network marketing background, having held the position of Director of Domestic and Worldwide Operations for Herbalife International…

    Open the record In the film · 12:20

  7. Exhibit G

    NutraIngredients · “Nutrition For Life in CBA deal”

    January 10, 2003

    “We are committed to taking Essential Nutritional Supplementation to every home and family in America…” — Jerry Kramer, chairman

    Not onlineIn the film · 16:13

About the film

Nutrition For Life was built in Houston from 1984 on by David Bertrand, Jana Mitcham and Tom “Big Al” Schreiter. By 1996 it was a public company with nearly $100 million in sales and a network of distributors that reached across North America, Britain and the Philippines.

In 2001 its parent company sold it to a group led by Green Bay Packers legend Jerry Kramer. The new owners promised massive financial backing. Within eighteen months David was gone, and in July 2003 the company was declared Chapter 7.

After he left, David wrote down what he saw, meeting by meeting, in a document he called “Why I Left Nutrition For Life.” This film tells his story in his own words, set against the public record: SEC filings, press releases and the company’s own website, preserved by the Wayback Machine.

Written and produced by
Stephen Bertrand
Primary source
David P. Bertrand, “Why I Left Nutrition For Life”
David’s words
Read in a recreated voice, with the family’s permission
Archive
NutritionForLife.com, Vitacorp.com, Vitamark.com and AdvancedNutraceuticals.com via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine; SEC EDGAR