Brattleboro, VT—Supplement maker New Chapter will now exist under the wing of Procter & Gamble (P&G), its new owner. New Chapter, which was approached by P&G, will be a “wholly-owned subsidiary” of the mass market giant.

The supplement maker seemed to be doing a bit of damage control via its Facebook fan page as it addressed the concerns of its supporters, many of whom were not thrilled with the merger.

According to a New Chapter representative, the subsidiary status means little will change at the company: “We're staying in Vermont, staff will remain the same and Paul Schulick continues to be in charge of Innovation & Science. New Chapter fully believes that this transition will be a positive one: after all, our mission has always been and will remain to deliver the wisdom of nature with natural therapeutics, promoting the health of both people and planet; and our new parent will enable that.”

New Chapter says its products and business won’t changed either. The new “partnership” will simply help the company reach more shoppers. The firm stated, “Our commitment to the natural channel and the earth itself is unwavering.”

Founders Paul and Barbi Schulick also posted a personal note on Facebook. They compared the merger to that of Stonyfield Yogurt by Danone. “New Chapter remains a stand-alone…Both of us will remain actively and enthusiastically involved.”

The Schulicks stated that other corporations interested in buying New Chapter wanted to integrate the company into their existing operations, which would have meant loss of jobs and probably brand identity. P&G, they believe, will do no harm to New Chapter.

“ What we have is successful. Altering New Chapter would not be in their economic interest,” the Schulicks feel.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, May 2012, online 3/20/12