1945
It All Began with One Man’s Passion
From a young age, Frank Sr. developed an interest in the properties of plants from the teachings of his grandmother, who herself was well versed in the healing powers of plants
From a young age, Frank Sr. developed an interest in the properties of plants from the teachings of his grandmother, who herself was well versed in the healing powers of plants
While working and managing a construction business, Frank continued his studies at night and expanded his knowledge at school studying botanical medicine, herbal healing, and chemistry.
In 1972, Frank decided to finally take his passion and turn it into a business. With his wife and business partner, Josephine, the couple dedicated themselves to launching a business that would produce high-quality herbal extracts and nutritional products to help support, promote, and enhance healthier lifestyles. Working out of a space no larger than a garage, Frank and Josephine set up an extract manufacturing plant where they produced the first full line of herbal extracts to the market, filled bottles, and applied labels by hand.
Frank wasn’t satisfied with the high alcohol content of extracts and the high heat used in their production, which degraded the herb and the final product. To rectify this, he created a proprietary process called Bio-Chelation®, a cold extraction method that replaces alcohol with vegetable glycerin. Using this method, Frank was able to produce the first 12-14% alcohol extract in the herbal industry.
Frank realized that creating the highest-quality products required the highest-quality raw materials. So, he loaded up his Winnebago with his wife and kids and set out one summer to meet herb collectors across the country. He wanted to meet these wild crafters face-to-face and to see their herbs first-hand, forging relationships that hold strong even today.
Bio-Botanica rapidly outgrew its small space. Within a few years, the company needed to move to a more modern manufacturing site where the D’Amelio’s pioneered the distribution of liquid herbal extracts to retail health stores. As the company continued to expand and grow so did its reputation as being a manufacturer of exceptional quality products.
Frank purchased property in Hauppauge, Long Island, and began building an 18,000 square foot manufacturing facility. Bio-Botanica found its new home at 75 Commerce Drive, where it still lives today.
Frank continued to build on his passion, adding state-of-the-art laboratory equipment and developing new processes to develop and test products. He insisted that everything be done in-house to ensure the quality of every product met his high standards. These new testing methods included Advanced Botanical Fingerprint Technology®, which identifies the scientific markers (or unique “fingerprints”) of each plant, allowing Frank to set standards for proving the authenticity of each herb.
Frank eventually refined his process and was able to produce the first line of alcohol-free herbal extracts on the market, opening up the use of extracts to children and people who needed to avoid alcohol for religious, moral, or health reasons
Frank and Josephine wanted to further expand and extend their natural herbal extract business into other sectors, namely the raw material/bulk industries. The well-recognized and established Bio-Botanica name began being marketed as a manufacturer of high-quality botanicals for the supplier end of business while a new company, Nature’s Answer®, was created for finished products for the natural health food industry. With these early products the company continued to maintain its reputation for exceptional quality and service, which continues to this day.
The company eventually grew so large that even its expanded facility wasn’t adequate. So, Frank bought the building next door and 85 Commerce Drive became the new home for Nature’s Answer.
The company grew and its building expanded to its present 140,000 square feet. It now houses an FDA registered and pharmaceutical licensed manufacturing facility complete with quality control, research & development lab, cosmetic development labs, modern warehousing, and professional office space.
Today, Nature’s Answer is still the passion of the D’Amelios. Frank Sr. remains the CEO of the company and is actively involved in its growth and development, focused primarily on new product development; Frank’s wife Josephine helps oversee the functioning of the company, and Frank’s sons play integral roles in the continued growth and evolution of Frank’s legacy. Other members of the D’Amelio family across generations have been and are involved in the company’s growth
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