Upon receiving the award at the July 13 ceremony in Chicago hosted by NutraIngredients, Emme congratulated his fellow honorees, thanked colleagues and industry partners, and reflected on the values that continue to drive growth at NOW, one of the largest natural brands in North America.
“I think it comes down to common sense, and it makes life a lot easier,” Emme said. “We had a family member who once said that ‘common sense is a gift, not a given’, and we’ve been blessed with the gift of common sense. That doesn’t mean we’re perfect at everything, but we try to deliver the right things at the right time.”
Since 2018, the NutraIngredients NutraChamp award has honored individuals who have made a lasting, transformational impact on the nutrition and dietary supplement industry.
At the helm of NOW
When Emme walked through the doors of NOW in 1995 as plant manager, the company was already respected for its commitment to making high-quality natural foods and dietary supplements affordable and accessible to a broader public.
Founded in 1968 by Elwood Richard in the Chicago area, today NOW manufactures thousands of products sold across more than 100 countries. It operates some of the industry’s most sophisticated quality laboratories and has become one of its most vocal advocates for transparency through its testing of supplements sold through online marketplaces to identify products that fail potency or quality standards.
Over the last 30 years, Emme has been the steady hand behind the scenes—first overseeing operations, then serving as president and, since 2014, as chief executive officer.
Colleagues describe his leadership as grounded in science, operational excellence and long-term thinking. Under his direction, the company has continued to prioritize product quality and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance, ethical and transparent business practices, employee development, affordable pricing and the long-term perspective afforded by family ownership rather than short-term shareholder demands.
“We at NOW have a culture of being honest and honorable in the way we do business, while managing risks in a measured way,” Emme said. “We are not a product innovator, but we are very innovative in leading the way in setting the highest possible quality standards while keeping our products at a reasonable price. We also are not afraid of trying out many new ideas and are very agile in this approach.”
For Dan Richard, vice president of global sales and marketing at NOW and the youngest son of founder Elwood Richard, Emme’s influence has been defined by hard work, versatility, personal connections and a deep dedication to the natural products industry rooted in strong personal values and professional purpose.
“Jim has left his fingerprints all over our business, he is a very hands-on manager,” Richard said. “Our founder, my dad, was the same way. His fingers were in every detail of the business, so our business is used to that and likes when the CEO knows the who, why and where of what is going on.”
Over the years, Emme has been instrumental in NOW’s global expansion efforts and in developing its operational resources and facilities in North America—from growing manufacturing operations in Illinois and Nevada to strengthening operations at its Puresource subsidiary in Canada. All of NOW’s buildings have been upgraded to sustainable energy and water conservation systems.
Suzanne Shelton, founder of industry public relations firm The Shelton Group, highlighted Emme’s investment in and advocacy for best practices.
“Having worked with NOW for nearly 30 years, I’ve observed Jim’s role in the company’s impressive global growth, while also preserving the deep commitment to the health and well-being of our industry and consumers,” she said. “Jim has overseen the significant expansion of the company’s manufacturing capabilities, while ensuring that the environmental commitment essential for our industry’s future was prioritized.”
NOW has partnered with charitable, environmental and industry-advocacy initiatives including Vitamin Angels to provide vital nutrients to at-risk populations, rePurpose Global for plastics recovery, The Conservation Foundation to promote environmental stewardship and Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation to advance education around nutrition, food quality and health.
At the center of advocacy and industry
Beyond leading the execution of strategy at NOW, Emme is active in the broader industry, advocating on Capitol Hill to protect the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to ensure public access to responsibly produced supplements and championing industry through its various trade organizations and initiatives.
“Industry-wise, he carries on the family’s heritage of being deeply involved, and we’ve been especially supportive of the NPA [Natural Products Association] because of the important role it plays in keeping our products legal and advocating for the protections our industry needs to continue serving consumers,” Richard said, noting that Emme is regularly in Washington, D.C., meeting with members of Congress and White House officials.
Much of Emme’s formal advocacy has been conducted through NPA, whose board he joined in 2015 as member before being elected chairman beginning 2025. According to Dan Fabricant, president and CEO of NPA, Emme joined at a time of significant organizational upheaval and structural challenges and quickly became a steady presence, helping maintain stability through the transition. This is when Fabricant first learned of Emme’s fondness for American basketball coaching great John Wooden’s quote: “What is right is more important than who is right.”
Fabricant highlighted the NPA’s achievements over the past decade, including defending consumer access to dietary supplements by opposing overly restrictive legislation, protecting key ingredients through litigation, securing tariff relief for major vitamins and advancing technical and regulatory expertise to support industry compliance.
“Those would not have happened without Jim and the other NPA leaders,” he said. “He was literally only a board member for a few months and ran to the fight. There are not many who would take that on. Jim’s level of breadth and depth on the industry and on NOW Foods commitment to quality is a gear few people have.”
Mark Blumenthal, founder of the American Botanical Council, expressed gratitude for Emme and NOW’s long-standing and far-reaching support of research, educational and sustainability initiatives in the natural products, dietary supplements and natural health community, including the council’s non-profit work to advance the understanding and value herbs and herbal medicine.
“Over the years, Jim’s passionate commitment to research and education has made NOW Foods one of the largest supporters of the nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs of the American Botanical Council,” he said. “On a spiritual level, Jim’s heart is bigger than his fairly robust physical size. He’s one of the most generous, inclusive, approachable, forward-thinking and genuinely humble people I’ve ever met in the entire herb and dietary supplement industry.”
His dedication and work ethic were shaped by his upbringing on his family’s generational farm in East Central Indiana, where he excelled both as an honor student and high school athlete. He carried those values with him to Purdue University, earning a degree in food science and food chemistry, and into an internship with The Pillsbury Corporation, which ultimately led to a full-time position.
“One of the things I had learned at Pillsbury was the importance of giving back to the communities in which we operated,” Emme said. “Community engagement efforts were authentic, and the company never expected anything in return, however being an important part of the communities we were in led to strong and lasting relationships with the communities and with the business partners we counted on to help us succeed.”
Loren Israelsen, founder and president of the United Natural Products Association, highlighted Emme’s longstanding support for family- and employee-owned businesses, as well as the independent community health food stores, which have served as trusted sources of guidance, education and support for consumers for decades. NOW Foods itself began as a small health food store called Health House in 1962, growing into a regional chain under the Fruitful Yield banner which Emme also oversees as part of his many functions.
“Jim is a champion of providing financial support for trade associations, non-profits and local community building,” Israelsen said. “He is a champion of product testing and publishing the truth about certain products sold on Amazon as well as a steadfast champion of the defense of DSHEA. I could go on. In all respects, Jim is truly a Nutra Champion. My congratulations to you, Jim, with appreciation for all you have done and will continue to do to make our industry and the world a better place.”
