Largest True Lavender Grower in the World!
After the historical merger of three major French lavender farms, Gary hosted his partners at St. Maries Idaho. Left to right, Benoît Cassan, Jean-Noël Landel, Gary Young, and Jean-Marie Blanc.
First, I want to share with you all that last January, four people came together in a merger, joining three lavender farms. Jean-Noel Landel and me, Benoit Cassan, and Jean-Marie Blanc. This merger makes Young Living the largest grower of true lavender in the world today!
Here is what my partner in France, Jean-Noel Landel, said during the 2013 Convention:
Jean-Noël: Hello, everybody. I want to go back years ago when I first met Gary. Everything he’s telling you right now, he was already speaking about 23 years ago. He already had the belief that we needed very high-quality, therapeutic-grade essential oils when nobody even knew what essential oils were. This is a true belief that has never changed for 23 years. And 23 years ago, everybody was laughing at this guy. They just didn’t understand what he was saying about essential oils for emotional feelings. Nobody knew about aromatherapy at that time. There were no aromatherapy businesses.
And this guy, when he first came to speak with us, we thought he was from another planet. What is he talking about? At the best, people were just kind of smiling at him and thinking, “Nice guy, yeah, yeah. Go back home.” That’s why I really feel strongly about all this. I brought Benoit Cassan with me; he’s the president of the largest research center on lavender farming in the world. He came to the U.S. for the third time because he knows he learns something from Gary every time. And Benoit’s father, president of the French Lavender Growers Association for a number of years, learned things from Gary 23 years ago.
That makes this company unique, based on the belief that essential oils have a very strong quality, not just for physical purposes like the French aromatherapy doctors thought. Not just that, but also on emotional levels and spiritual levels. It has been Gary’s teaching for 23 years now; he’s never changed that. And he knew he had to take big actions as he has been doing, spending millions of dollars farming, distilling, and researching to the point where nobody else can do the same.
I feel very proud that Gary accepted me as a partner and not just his employee. As a partner, it’s a very high honor for me. And I am very happy to let you know that you have the strongest, deepest roots in this company than any other company that is marketing essential oils now because it’s a “new fad.” It wasn’t new 23 years ago! Essential oils became known, thanks to Gary. We have to stick together as a company, as a family, to continue to make it grow!
