Pikeville, TN 37367
Phone: (800) 216-3231
Fax: (423) 881-3231
www.buriedtreasureln.com
Company History
Life Line Foods, founded in 1969, began when the close-knit Burks family entered the health food industry with the purpose to inspire, motivate and enable as many people as possible to achieve and maintain good health. Starting as a bakery run by Gary Burks, the company was one of the first to offer sprouted whole grain bread and organic frozen pizza to the health food industry. Then, Life Line Foods entered the nutraceutical market as one of the first companies to offer a unique line of liquid dietary supplements. Gary’s son Lester took the company to new levels as he developed Buried Treasure™ products in a readily absorbable form that more efficiently meets dietary needs.
The first of these products included high potency, liquid multivitamins. Later developments included ACF (acute cold and flu) and VM 100 (a combination of herbs, vitamins and minerals). Lester Burks, who is CMO of Life Line Foods, commented, “You don’t find just one isolated vitamin or mineral in natural foods. You find co-active nutrients, which are combined to meet the needs of the body. We designed complex synergistic formulas in a balance that is as close as possible to the way these nutrients are produced in nature. Therefore, these liquid dietary supplements get fast, efficient results.”
Now it is Lester’s son Andrew who is taking the company to new levels. Recently, Andrew took advantage of government incentives to invest in 128 photovoltaic solar panels, which should provide 50-80 percent of the plant’s power. The clean energy produced over the life of the panels will offset considerable pollutants from coal-fired power plants: 661 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, a leading greenhouse gas; 6,108 pounds of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain; and 1,987 pounds of smog-producing nitrous oxide. This transition to going greener with renewable energy is again putting Life Line Foods to the forefront of many manufacturers—even in the health food industry.
Recently, Lester and Life Line Foods celebrated the installation of the new solar energy system with several members of the local community, government officials and business representatives. It was a time to look back as he acknowledged the role his father played in starting the business, and a time to look forward to the future.
Up Ahead
Life Line Foods’ future looks bright for more reasons than just the solar powered plant. New Buried Treasure products are being developed regularly, even as the products consumers are already familiar with become household necessities. Some are for specific concerns such Cough Complete or Aller Ease, while others, like Women’s Change or Men’s Prostrate Complete, support reproductive health.
Key Executives
• Lester G. Burks, CMO
• Andrew L. Burks, CFO
• Luis Alonso, Vice President
• Steven C. Souders, National Sales Representative