What Do Forbes, TIME and U.S. News See in Melaleuca?
Three national publications took a close look at Melaleuca in 2026. Their findings reveal why the company is earning attention for its products, its people and its business practices.
Melaleuca customers have been talking about the value of the company’s products for years. In 2026, Forbes gave them another reason to talk.
The publication ranked Melaleuca the No. 2 Best Brand for Value in America, behind only Costco and ahead of familiar names such as Toyota, Trader Joe’s and Apple.
Two other national publications recognized Melaleuca around the same time. TIME named it one of America’s Best Private Companies, and U.S. News & World Report included it among the Best Companies to Work For in three categories.
The three publications conducted separate studies with different methodologies. Their findings offer an interesting look at a company that has spent more than four decades emphasizing product quality, customer value and employee satisfaction.
Why Forbes Ranked Melaleuca So Highly
Forbes’ 2026 America’s Best Brands for Value ranking grew out of a massive consumer research project.
Research firm HundredX collected 4.7 million ratings from more than 160,000 people who evaluated approximately 5,500 brands.
Consumers considered quality, price, customer service, satisfaction and how likely they were to recommend a brand.
Melaleuca finished second nationwide, with Costco taking the top spot.
That result was particularly notable given the competition. Melaleuca ranked ahead of Toyota, Trader Joe’s, Apple and Sam’s Club, companies that have spent decades building consumer recognition.
“Most people think value means paying less,” said Melaleuca founder Frank VanderSloot. “We think it means receiving more.”
Melaleuca has emphasized that philosophy since VanderSloot founded the company in Idaho Falls in 1985.
The company develops and markets nutrition, personal care, household cleaning and other wellness products, with an emphasis on performance and affordability.
“We are not trying to make the cheapest product on the shelf,” VanderSloot said. “We are trying to make a better product.”
Forbes later published a feature article taking a closer look at Melaleuca’s approach.
TIME Recognizes Melaleuca’s Standing Among Private Companies
TIME examined a different side of the business.
Working with research firm Statista, the publication selected America’s Best Private Companies of 2026, drawing on measures of employee satisfaction and societal impact.
The researchers started with a field of more than 34 million private companies and incorporated surveys of more than 217,000 U.S. workers.
Melaleuca earned a place on the list alongside Patagonia, Publix, REI, Chobani and Chick-fil-A.
For a privately held company headquartered in Idaho Falls, the recognition places Melaleuca in the company of some of the nation’s most familiar businesses.
It also draws attention to Melaleuca’s investment in the people who work there, including employee benefits, wellness programs and rewards for long-term service.
U.S. News Takes a Closer Look at the Workplace
Employee experience was the focus of another 2026 ranking, this one from U.S. News & World Report.
Melaleuca earned recognition in three Best Companies to Work For categories: Overall, West, and Health Care and Research.
The publication assessed workplaces on pay and benefits, work-life balance, stability, comfort, belonging and career development.
Melaleuca earned perfect 5-out-of-5 scores for belonging and job stability.
Those findings are especially relevant to employees who have made Melaleuca their long-term career.
“Melaleuca’s mission is one of the greatest strengths,” said company President Cole Clinger. “People are drawn here because they want to do meaningful work that enhances lives.”
One way Melaleuca recognizes that commitment is through its longevity bonus program.
During 2024 and 2025, the company distributed more than $5.2 million in longevity bonuses to 426 employees. Since the program began in 2007, it has paid nearly $45 million.
The awards recognize employees who have contributed to the company’s growth through years of service.
Recognition That Has Built Over Time
The Forbes, TIME and U.S. News honors arrived within weeks of one another, adding to a record of national recognition that has grown over several years.
Earlier in 2026, Forbes recognized Melaleuca among America’s Best Midsize Employers for the fourth time since 2020.
In 2025, USA TODAY named Melaleuca among America’s Most Trusted Brands and America’s Best Stores.
Each ranking draws on its own research, criteria and methodology. Viewed together, the recognitions provide several independent perspectives on how Melaleuca is performing.
They also reflect priorities that have shaped the company since 1985.
Frank VanderSloot founded Melaleuca with a vision of creating products that could improve people’s everyday lives. Today, the company’s mission is to enhance the lives of those it touches by helping people reach their goals.
More than four decades later, Melaleuca continues to invest in its products, its employees and the customers who rely on it.
The latest national recognitions suggest those efforts are being noticed well beyond Idaho Falls.