Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> August 18, 2003
MAX APPEL, with his wife Elaine, co-founded Orange Glo International in
1986 in his family's garage, after experimenting with citrus oils and
discovering their natural cleaning powers. He then set out to develop a
healthier household cleaning product that people would enjoy using and
find remarkably effective. The first product he developed is Orange Glo
Wood Cleaner & Polish, which he began selling directly to consumers at
home fairs and trade shows, in small and large cities across the US.
Independent distributors soon joined forces with Mr. Appel to help
introduce the product to a greater population of users. Today, Orange
Glo International makes more than 33 different healthy, powerful
cleaning products. They are sold in direct channels, such as fairs,
trade shows and infomercials, as well as in grocery stores, mass
retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target, and independent retail outlets
such as Bed Bath & Beyond and The Home Depot. Mr. Appel's influence over
the company today is evident primarily in identifying trends, developing
new products and creating new sales opportunities for all product lines.
Since he founded the company, Orange Glo International has seen
tremendous market growth due to repeat sales of products by satisfied
customers. He also has significant fundraising experience throughout his
career, leading efforts for organizations such as National Jewish
Hospital, Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, St. Jude Children's Hospital,
National Asthma Center and the AMC Cancer Center, as well as several
environmentally focused organizations. He received his bachelor's degree
from the University of Colorado and attended Boston University's
graduate school of public relations and communications. Profile
JOEL APPEL, as president and CEO of Orange Glo International, manages
day-to-day operations, key customer relationships and North American
sales and marketing efforts. His entrepreneurial spirit began with his
own video game business at age 15. His leadership for the company is
cemented with solid sales and marketing experience at Quaker Oats Co.,
where he was a product manager for the company's gourmet coffee
business. After spending eight years with Quaker, he joined his parents
at Orange Glo International, with a mission to sell healthy cleaning
products to a nationwide market. Driving his commitment to innovation
today are the millions of customers who feel better about cleaning, an
otherwise unpleasant task, because of Orange Glo International's family-
friendly, highly effective products. Expanding that devoted following on
a global level is his goal for the future. Mr. Appel received his
bachelor of arts degree from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont,
California, and his MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate
School of Business. Profile
TWST: Could we start out with a brief history and overview of Orange GloInternational?
Mr. J. Appel (President): Mom and dad invented Orange Glo literally in
the family garage about 18 years