Founded | 1993
Headquarters | Schengen, Luxembourg
Top Executive | Rolf Sorg, Founder & CEO
Products | Health and Wellness
PM-International CEO Rolf Sorg doesn’t believe in limitations—and he doesn’t think you should either. For the last 30 years, he’s led the company he founded with a resilience that be believes lives in all of us if you’re not willing to give up.
Rolf Sorg shouldn’t be leading a multinational direct selling company with revenue of $3 billion dollars. And he shouldn’t be on stage celebrating 30 years in business before an audience of thousands. He should be working in his hometown and running his family’s business. But that’s not his story. Instead of accepting the simplest path that lay ahead, he chose another—and he’s never looked back.
“I discovered direct sales when looking for a side income opportunity during my studies,” he explained. “This business model was a perfect fit for my approach to things, which I still stand by today—namely: the more productive a person is, the more they should earn.”
A self-proclaimed “shy guy,” his drive towards something more than the life prescribed for him propelled him past his fears. Within just a few years, he’d worked his way up to becoming the most successful distributor in the company, which presented a new inflection point, and then another.
“I made the decision to pursue direct sales full time,” he shared. “In 1993, when the company I worked with went out of business, I founded my own direct sales company, to give others the opportunities that were given to me.”
Originally a cosmetics business, PM-International quickly evolved into a health and wellness company with the launch of FitLine, initially a brand of weight management products. Today, the company’s portfolio includes health and wellness products that address anti-aging and fitness, which is shared by a field of hundreds of thousands of distribution partners globally. These entrepreneurs arrive at the same decision point that Rolf did all those years ago, but he knows that every one of them is capable of the same success that he’s worked for as a distributor.
“Sharing my own mistakes makes it easier for people to understand and draws them closer,” Rolf shared. “If I presented myself as a hero, that’s not reality, and it’s not true. Others would get nothing out of that.”
Powerful Possibilities
FitLine, the product collection that launched PM-International into the health and wellness space nearly three decades ago, continues to be foundational for the company and is powered by its exclusive NTC® or Nutrient Transport Concept. It brings nutrients where they are needed, when they are needed—to the cellular level, from inside and out.
Across its portfolio, PM-International holds 70 patents for its technology and products, which are free of preservatives and only feature natural sweeteners and flavors.
“Our aim is to develop and market premium products,” Rolf shared. “We don’t compromise and only use the highest quality raw materials. In addition, all FitLine products are ‘Made in Germany’ and are produced according to the highest standards (GMP certification) for absolute quality, purity and safety. They offer maximum transparency for ambitious amateur and professional athletes alike through regular and independent testing by the Cologne List®.”
Rolf is grateful to offer the same life-changing opportunity he chose so many years ago to prospective distribution partners around the world—but this time with a company that has stood the test of time. As a global direct selling leader with 30 years of experience, consecutive growth and long-term vision, PM-International presents a low-risk, proven opportunity to aspiring entrepreneurs.
“We were founded in 1993 as a small family business and have stayed true to our values and principles through all our growth phases, and that also shapes our business today,” Rolf shared. “To us, it has always been important to create an environment of trust, respect and support. At the same time, PM-International also invests heavily in sales structures and training. We offer long-term development opportunities, fun at work and a supportive environment. The positive mindset of our distribution partners and the promotion of togetherness is certainly a unique thing and makes our ‘PM Family’ something very special.”
This family works and serves together in the corporate office, in the field and through PM-International’s charity foundation, PM We Care. With every product sold, the company’s philanthropic arm donates one hour of support—or “One Hour of Life” to children in need around the world. PM-International is the largest corporate sponsor of the children’s aid organization World Vision, with 6,000 sponsored children supported through its donations.
Clear Vision
With three decades to celebrate and an exciting future on the horizon, Rolf and his leadership team have a strong vision for what’s to come for PM-International. Over the last thirty years, the company has launched into 45 countries with plans to expand its international reach. Its digital footprint is expanding as well, making working from anywhere easier for PM-International distribution partners.
“We constantly learn and listen to our partners in order to create innovative digital solutions,” Rolf explained. “Whether that is our own streaming platform PM TV, our online payment solutions such as PM Direct Cash or innovations such as our FitLine app. In direct sales we never work only online or offline; the future is hybrid. We are also focusing on hybrid solutions in our strategy and development to be a pioneer in our industry.”
As he looks ahead to the next 30 years for PM-International, Rolf continues to believe in the power of direct selling, as well as the challenges that new leaders can overcome to achieve their goals—just as he did when he chose this unknown path.
“In direct sales, hard work is the base,” he explained. “Yet to stay at the top, we need a clear vision, a burning desire to keep going and passion. Remember, it’s not a bad thing to have a setback! Because every ‘no’ brings you closer to the next ‘yes!’”
From the April 2024 issue of Direct Selling News magazine.
