Born in 1938, Lemerond served in the United States Marine Corps, serving at Camp Pendleton and spending 2 .5 years in Okinawa. After returning to Green Bay, he began working at Bay Natural Foods, which marked the start of a lifelong commitment to the natural health industry.
Terry established Enzymatic Therapy, Inc., and its professional channel sister brand PhytoPharmica in 1981 before selling these in 2000. He subsequently founded EuroPharma, Inc., in 2003, the parent company of the Terry Naturally and EuroMedica brands of products. He also owned the Terry Naturally Health Food stores in Green Bay and Howard.
During the course of his career, Lemerond formulated over 500 products, hosted a weekend radio show for three decades, and was the first recipient of the “ABC Champion” from the American Botanical Council in 2014. The award recognizes a person who provides exceptional time, energy, and/or financial resources to ABC.
“One of Terry’s greatest skills was to find “new” dietary supplement products for the American market,” stated Mark Blumenthal, ABC’s founder and executive director in an extensive tribute. “He traveled extensively in Europe and elsewhere (Terry loved to travel!) and identified clinically researched ingredients and products, which he then introduced into the American market.
“Terry was a true visionary in the literal and figurative senses of the term. He could see the future, and his vision and ability to act on his vision helped to create the future. Terry was the first person to import clinically tested glucosamine sulfate from Europe and market it in the United States,” added Blumenthal, who first met Lemerond in the late 1970s or early 1980s.
“A tireless and consistent advocate”
Graham Rigby, president and CEO of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), described Lemerond as “a visionary, but more than that, he was someone whose passion for natural health was obvious.
“As an innovator, he pioneered and championed herbs with a strong commitment to science. AHPA was fortunate to count him as a longtime member, and his influence, generosity, and pioneering spirit will be deeply missed.”
Jim Emme, CEO of Chicago-based NOW Foods, also called Lemerond “an innovator”, and added that he was “a tireless and consistent advocate for consumers and independent retailers alike.
“His efforts to educate retailers and consumers about the benefits of natural products were some of the most purposeful in the history of our industry. He spent much of his time visiting retailers in person in support of these educational efforts, including our own Fruitful Yield retail stores.”
Emme added that he first met Lemerond almost 20 years ago, and they remained friends with common interests. “He started his brands beginning in the back room of a Green Bay Health Food store, built companies then turned EuroPharma into an employee-owned business so the people who built it could share in its future success.
“This combination of formulation rigor, retail floor realism, and loyalty to the independent channel was rare,” he said. “He will be missed. His work and the people he mentored will carry the mission forward.”
Mentorship
Among those mentees, Cheryl Myers, chief of scientific affairs and education at EuroPharma, Inc, worked with Lemerond for over 28 years. “Terry was my mentor and friend,” she said. “In fact, he is the reason that I changed my career to integrative health. He was a constant learner and ever curious. His office was filled to overflowing with articles, open books, printouts of clinical studies, not to mention having multiple tabs open simultaneously on his computer. Working over fifty years in this industry gave him incredible perspective in developing unique and often first-to-market products.”
Myers added that Lemerond was also a strong supporter of quality research and donated an enormous amount of money over the years to further the science of natural medicine.
“Terry had a great sense of humor and was whip smart. He often talked to me about his poor high school performance and graduating at the bottom of his class. The university to which he applied told him he was not college material. Usually, he made jokes about it. He always told me to never let anyone else define you, as only you know what you can do. Never limit yourself. Set goals, follow your path, and miracles happen. They certainly did for him. He was one of the most inspirational men that I ever met.
Lemerond had put in place a succession plan, having converted EuroPharma to an employee-owned company (ESOP) and hired Holly Hirsch as chief operating officer several months ago. Hirsch has now been appointed interim president and CEO.
Hirsch said that Lemerond’s achievements go far beyond building a successful company or introducing effective natural-health products: “He helped revolutionize an industry by insisting that consumers deserved access to credible, high-quality solutions grounded in both nature and science.
“What has always inspired me most is that Terry’s work has never been simply about business. It has been rooted in a genuine mission to help people live healthier, better lives. His curiosity, conviction, generosity, and unwavering sense of purpose have influenced countless employees, partners, practitioners, and customers. Terry created more than a brand; he created a lasting movement built around education, empowerment, and improving people’s well-being.”
“A life of passion dedicated to changing people’s lives for the better”
Roy Upton, president of the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) first met Lemerond in the mid-1980s and their relationship deepened during their work towards the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) in 1994.
“During the entire time of owning health food stores and creating leading brands, Terry was constantly educating on all aspects of natural health through radio shows, podcasts, and authoring or co-authoring more than a dozen consumer-oriented books ranging on subjects ranging from general health, melatonin, propolis, and pain control, to cancer care,” said Upton in a LinkedIn post.
When AHP was forming, Lemerond was quick to recognize the importance of developing quality standards for herbal products and the need to critically review the totality of data regarding the effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine and offered his support, added Upton.
“Terry lived a life of passion dedicated to changing people’s lives for the better in a world where health care is lacking, disease care rules supreme, and natural products, central to his life, provide part, even much, of the answer to the world’s ills. I am grateful to have had a 40-year friendship with such a good man.”