Direct Selling Magazine PM-International Coverstory I English

COVERSTORY
ROLF SORG
Originally a trained car mechanic,
Rolf Sorg discovered direct sales
when looking for a side income
opportunity during his studies. In
1993, when the company he worked
with went out of business,
he founded his own company
PM-International. He is driven
by the idea of "giving others
the chances that I was given
myself: self-employment and an
instant extra income with no risk,
freedom to choose your worktime
and the ability to have a lot of fun
while doing so."
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PM-INTERNATIONAL POSITIONED FOR FURTHER EXPANSION
PM-INTERNATIONAL TARGETS SALES OF MORE THAN $2 BILLION AFTER RECORD YEAR
When Rolf Sorg founded his own company, PM-International, in Germany in 1993, no one
could have guessed that it would turn out to be one of the greatest success stories within
the direct selling industry. Today, PM-International AG is one of the fastest-growing
and most stable direct selling companies in the world and continues to expand massively.
After achieving sales of $1.11 billion for the first time in 2019, CEO and Founder Rolf
Sorg is now targeting sales of more than $2 billion for 2021. This is a more than realistic
goal, as the company headquartered in Luxembourg is probably better positioned internationally
than ever before.
Since the company was founded, PM-International's
sales have been growing continuously,
steadily and unstoppably, reflecting the company
philosophy of its Founder, whose greatest
strengths and virtues are clearly patience,
perseverance, discipline and honesty. When
the first FitLine nutritional supplement Q10
launched in 1995, followed by the million-seller
Activize in 1996, PM-International's success
story began to gather momentum.
Only ten years after the company was founded,
expansion into Asia was initiated in 2003,
and annual sales of 100 million euros were
achieved for the first time in 2004. In the 2005
financial year, the company changed from a limited
liability company (GmbH) to an unlisted
company (AG) in order to further consolidate
the company's foundation.
In 2008, when PM-International was already
represented in 30 markets worldwide, the
company started focusing on creating new infrastructures
in order to support further international
expansion. The logistics and administration
center in Switzerland started in 2011,
while the new administration building in Speyer
was already built in 2012. Today, all logistics
for the European markets are coordinated
from there. With the official inauguration of the
new Headquarters in Luxembourg in 2015, another
cornerstone was laid in the company's
history to massively drive the opening of new
countries. The company is now positioned in
the most important billion-dollar markets in Europe,
Asia, America and Australia, where it is
represented with own subsidiaries and offices.
This concept and strategy have an impact on
distribution partners and customers and are
building trust. Since 2015, the company's sales
have risen from $350 million to $1.71 billion
in 2020.
This record turnover catapulted PM-International
to 10th place in the current "DSN Global
100" ranking of the direct selling companies
with the highest turnover worldwide and
led to an additional Bravo International Growth
Award.
With around 700 million FitLine products sold
to date, a legally compliant, proven compensation
plan and a customer-based business
model, PM-International belongs undoubtedly
to the absolute top direct selling companies
worldwide. The economic stability of a company
is also an important factor for distribution
partners who want to build a business for
generations. Here, too, PM-International can
convince with a triple "AAA" (Triple A+) rating
and an equity ratio of over 60 percent, thus
providing the base for long-term planning.
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COVERSTORY
A family-owned company
"I already founded PM-International
as a business also for
future generations," says Rolf
Sorg. For him, family businesses
have clear advantages,
starting with quick decisionmaking,
because "it's about
lived values and not just about
the next quarter," says the PM-
International CEO. "For us, the
'family business' model has
proven itself even in turbulent
times, as it allows us to always
react flexibly to changes."
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Cumulative sales of $6.391 billion
in the last eleven years
It took around eleven years since its foundation for PM-International
to reach the milestone of €100 million in sales in 2004. After
another ten years, sales already amounted to $313 million and in
2019, for the first time in company history, the $1 billion sales mark
was reached with $1.11 billion.
From 2010 to 2020 alone, PM-International's
cumulative sales was
$6.391 billion, with a sales increase
of approximately $1.49 billion, or
688 per cent, compared to 2010. The
strategic global expansion started
in 2015 resulted in one sales record
after another. In the 2021 business
year, sales of new direct-selling giant
with Headquarters in Luxembourg
are expected to amount to
slightly more than $2 billion.

COVERSTORY
Germany is the
hub for the
entire European
market.
The history of PM-International
began in 1993, when Rolf
Sorg, a native of the Palatinate,
founded the company
in his grandfather's cellar in
Limburgerhof. At that time
still consisting of a handful of
founding members, PM-International
is today, 28 years
later, one of the largest direct
selling companies worldwide.
Already when PM-International
started, CEO and Founder
Rolf Sorg had a great vision:
worldwide market leadership
in the development and distribution
of high-quality products
for health, fitness and beauty.
A large part of the company's
long-term and exponential development
is also due to PM-
International's oldest and largest
market, Germany. Only in
the last year, PM could attract
a number of customers in the
six digit range in this market,
with an average sales growth
pf 34,9 per cent compared to
the previous year.
This year too, the oldest market
is breaking all records on
the way to the second billion.
In the first quarter, Germany
already creates a continuous
sales growth of over 30 per
cent, in April even 76 per cent
compared to the previous year
and thus a new all-time high.
"We are confident to be able to
keep this momentum. We owe
this success to our leaders,
our well over 10,000 independent
distribution partners, and
our customers and employees
here in Germany.
Without their outstanding performance,
commitment and
loyalty this would never have
been possible," says Chief Sales
Officer Patrick Bacher. "I
see our constant and innovative
product development and
optimization as an important
building block of our sustainable
expansion, not only in Germany,
but also in all other markets,"
he adds.
Patrick Bacher
Patrick Bacher is a founding
member of the company.
In 2004, he took over sales
management, and is now
responsible for Germany and
Switzerland. Since 2017,
Bacher has been PM's Chief
Sales Officer, and since
last year he has also been
responsible for logistics and
purchasing. Bacher sees big
potential for the German market
in the future: "The current
market saturation in Germany
is estimated at around 10
percent. This means that until
the market is saturated, we
can still increase our sales
tenfold!"
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Over 250 employees
work at the Headquarters
Europe
Just in time for the company's 10th anniversary,
PM-International moved into
the newly built Headquarters Europe
and Logistics Center in Speyer, Germany
in 2003. Today, four warehouses
and two administrative buildings are located
near the Rhine river.
A third administration building is urgently
needed and already in the planning
stage. It will provide space for around
60 additional employees. Construction
is scheduled to start this
year. Started in 2020 with
192 employees, the Speyer
site has a total of 254 employees
as of April 2021.
Due to the strong expansion,
there is a need for additional
in all departments.
In addition to the European
Logistics center, PM-International
also has 27 Direct
Sales Centers throughout
Germany, which support local
sales in the respective
region.
There, customers, distribution
partners and everyone who is interested
can purchase FitLine products,
taste them and receive advice. To ensure
the highest quality, all FitLine products
are "Made in Germany", manufactured
according to GMP, a standard
of the pharmaceutical industry, and
regularly and independently tested by
TÜV SÜD ELAB. The results can be
accessed through a QR code on the
product.
European Logistics Center
Subsidiaries inside and outside Europe are supplied by the
Logistics Center. In March 2021 alone, 58,051 packages were
shipped to customers and distribution partners within Germany,
with an additional 4,500 pallets going to national and
international branches. To cope with the growing numbers,
a fourth warehouse was opened last October. This covers
146 meters in length, 25 meters in width and nine meters
in height. The European Logistics Center now has a total of
7,400 pallet storage spaces on just under 8,000 m².
DIRECT SELLING MAGAZINE I www.direct-selling-magazine.de I 7

COVERSTORY
Positioned in the world's
most important billion-dollar
markets
PM-International is operating at 35 locations in
more than 40 countries. Founder Rolf Sorg started
expansion early on; first in Europe, then in
the Asia-Pacific region and in America. His family
business relies on a strong local presence: "For
us, our premium approach means offering a personal
service to our customers and partners. After
all, direct sales thrives on interaction," emphasizes
Rolf Sorg.
International Headquarters - Luxemburg
Opened in 2015, the Headquarters in Schengen
is just a stone's throw away from the place where
the European Union was founded. Considering
the company's growth and now almost 100 employees,
investments are also being made here:
the construction of the second administration
building has just started.
Headquarters Americas – USA
Opened in 2019, the Headquarters
including a GMP-certified fulfillment
center has just been expanded with a
second warehouse and administration
building. Sammy El Ghoul, Chief Sales
Officer Americas: "In 2021, we will open
another office for the West region, as
sales are steadily increasing. We also
already have fully operative subsidiaries
in Canada, Chile and Mexico."
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Strategic market
openings
Headquarters Europe – Germany
"Expansion needs space. We are planning a third
administration building at the moment, right after
opening our fourth warehouse in 2020," explains
Chief Sales Officer Patrick Bacher. With more
than 250 employees, the European Headquarters
is PM's biggest location.
PM-International started operating on
the Canadian market in 2020, the subsidiary
is located in Toronto. "We have
a growing sales force in this market and
registered +171% growth in sales in
2020 compared to the previous year,"
says Rolf Sorg.
Last fall, PM-International entered the
Belgian market with a new subsidiary
that is responsible for the administration
and logistics in Belgium and the Netherlands
In Indonesia, the company just celebrated
the next milestones of the market
opening with the Founders Meeting and
Pre-Launch online events in April this
year.
In 2021, PM-International plans market
openings in Great Britain, Hungary,
Portugal, Vietnam and China, as well as
further expansion in Central and South
America. "Even if the current situation
shows that long-term plans cannot always
be realized on time – we will not
be held back. We are flexible, and that's
the way we act.”
Headquarters Asia-Pacific - Singapore
To support further growth in the Asia-Pacific region,
PM-International invested into new and bigger facilities
in Singapore in 2020. "We are developing very
quickly here and have big plans. In addition, we
are planning to set up a logistics hub in North-East
Asia for supporting the whole region," says Marcus
Sandström, Chief Sales Officer for Asia-Pacific.
DIRECT SELLING MAGAZINE I www.direct-selling-magazine.de I 9

COVERSTORY
Almost 700
million FitLine
products sold to
date
In product development, PM
uses the latest findings. The
company has been conducting
basic and applied
research for more than 25
years, both with its own team
of scientists from the fields
of nutritional sciences, cell
research and food technology,
as well as in collaboration
with the Luxembourg Institute
of Science and Technology
and the Upper Austria Univer-
This has resulted in several
scientific studies, and PM-International
also holds around 70
patents worldwide. Dr. Tobias
Kühne: "Our research projects
embody exactly what we want to
achieve as a company. Thanks
to a €1.1 million research grant
from the Luxembourg government,
we have been able to expand
our activity considerably."
"Our main mission is to develop
new premium products for
health, fitness and beauty, from
inside and out," explains Dr. Tobias
Kühne, Chief Scientific
Officer of PM-International.
"In addition, we
are always working to
further improve the bioavailability
of the FitLine
products."
The Nutrient Transport
Concept (NTC®) represents
the core competency
of PM-International:
it delivers the
nutrients exactly when
they are needed and
where they are needed – to the
cellular level, from inside and
out.
Highest quality and
maximum safety
"Quality is a very decisive
factor for us," explains Dr.
Kühne. "Our products are
Made in Germany and produced
according to the strict
GMP guidelines, a standard
from the pharmaceutical
industry." To guarantee a continuous
high product quality,
the products are regularly and
independently tested by TÜV
SÜD ELAB. End customers
can review information about
the analysis directly on the
TÜV SÜD ELAB website, by
scanning the QR code on the
product packaging. No other
competitor offers this level of
transparency.
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More than 3,000
sponsored children
with World Vision
PM We Care, the charity foundation of
PM-International and largest corporate
sponsor of the relief, development and
advocacy organization World Vision,
supports children, their families and entire
communities in more than 60 longterm
development projects in more than
25 countries worldwide. "The principle
is simple," explains Charity Ambassador
Vicki Sorg. "Each FitLine product sold gives 'One Hour of Life'. This way, all customers
and distribution partners actively contribute to making a difference in the lives of children!" Over
the past 18 years, €6.1 million have been generated. World Vision uses the donations to build
wells and schools, educate people about children's rights or to set up birth centers. The focus is
always the same: "Every child has a right to develop in the best possible way! We stand behind
the great work of World Vision and are happy to be able to contribute to it. In the long term, our
goal is to support 10,000 children, because this is a matter close to our hearts," says Vicki Sorg.
FitLine is established in
professional sports for
more than 20 years
More than 1,000 top athletes and over 20
associations in 60 sports disciplines from 30
nations trust in FitLine premium nutritional
supplements for more endurance, concentration
and regeneration. In addition to the
optimal results and tolerability, they appreciate
the high product safety due to the
presence of the entire FitLine nutritional
supplement on the Cologne List®, an
independent service platform for
doping prevention. From a sales
perspective, the testimonials
from professional sports are a
motivation and help in making
new contacts interested in
sports.
Achim Heukemes
- Extreme sports legend (69 years):
- World Champion 10x Ironman M55
- Vice World Champion 24h time trials & duathlon (Masters)
- 6 World Championships in 5 years / 5 medals
"The products have been with me for more than 20 years –
I wouldn't have been able to maintain this level without FitLine."
DIRECT SELLING MAGAZINE I www.direct-selling-magazine.de I 11

COVERSTORY
The most succesful leaders worldwide
(in alphabetical order) I 15.5.2021
Gyokyuran Arai
Japan
Hege Bläcker
Sweden
Jürgen Bruckner
Austria
Young Hwi Cho
Korea
Marcel Dezsö
Switzerland
Andreas Gutekunst
& Andreas Ulbrich
Germany
Joachim Heberlein
Germany
Yu Ying Ji
Japan
Helene & Rudolf Junker
Switzerland
Sion Kim
Korea
Carsten Ledulé
Germany
JaeDuk Lee
Korea
YunHee Lee
Korea
Yaming Li
Germany
Sabine & Wolfgang
Lindemann
Germany
Marina Longhi
Italy
Eliseo Molinari & Trinidad
Garcia / Spain
Björn Müller
Germany
Ute & Tino Puschmann
Germany
Yi Qu
Germany
Ivan Riva
Italy
Giulia Romanelli
Italy
Adele Samarelli
Italy
Ralf Wünsch
Germany
Karin Zuber
Germany
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