Joe Morton was living in Malaysia in the mid-1990s when he tasted the mangosteen fruit for the first time. He found it delicious and, as he learned more about its nutrition and reputed health benefits among local people, sensed a business opportunity.

Morton contacted his brother, Gordon, and longtime friend, Aaron Garrity, both of whom were experienced network marketers. The trio brought in three other veteran network marketers, Gary Hollister, Bryan Davis and Kent Wood, to round out the team.

The six founders partnered with a German beverage manufacturer to make a mangosteen-based fruit drink, which they named XanGo: "xan" for the antioxidant xanthones present in the fruit, and "go" for the mangosteen. They also developed a network marketing plan that has since been called the most attractive plan of its kind in the industry.

Their planning paid off. In less than three years, the Lehi company has grown from 14 employees to 400, with more than 250,000 distributors in 12 international markets.

Garrity, the company's president and chief operating officer, has successfully expanded the product lines of several Utah-based health and nutrition companies. Hollister, the chief executive officer, comes from a more traditional business background, including years at the helm of Merle Norman Cosmetics.

Together, they have emphasized their product's uniqueness, the expertise of the management team and the strategic partnerships that help XanGo keep its focus on product promotion and distribution.