Interview with Zacharia Levine

Q: What is Pure Synergy and why was it created? 

Pure Synergy is the branded product line developed, owned, and stewarded by The Synergy Company. The Synergy Company is a family-owned Utah Benefit corporation that has manufactured certified organic dietary supplements in Moab for 32 years. Synergy helped to pioneer the organic superfood and multi-vitamin market segment in the United States while creating a dependable source of high-paying careers for Grand County residents. Its award-winning products are sold through various e-commerce platforms to customers around the world. Synergy has received the World Trade Center of Utah’s Vanguard award, Rocky Mountain Power’s Legacy award, and was recently recognized by the Utah Governor’s Office as a Top 100 Company Championing Women. In 2022, Synergy opened Grand County’s first on-site childcare facility in response to a communitywide shortage that has limited labor force participation.

To read more about our founder/owner, Mitchell May, and his personal reasons for starting The Synergy Company, please visit the “About Us” page our website.

Q: Tell us about your position at The Synergy Company. In what ways have you uplifted your local community through your position?

I serve as the Director of People & Sustainability, which is an umbrella role at The Synergy Company. The following focus areas and business functions fall under the People & Culture sphere of my role: administrative human resource activities, learning & development, wellness, and organizational culture. The focus areas and business functions related to Sustainability and Social Impact include greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, zero waste to landfill initiatives, packaging support, community grants, and social impact partnerships. I also support Synergy through government and community relations work and some corporate governance/policy-making. As you can see, it’s easy to wear many hats at a small company.

My work at The Synergy Company connects me with the Moab community most through our various social impact activities, such as grant-making, companywide volunteer events, individual volunteer coordination, and event sponsorships. Through my role at Synergy, I have also served on a variety of community advisory groups and planning projects, such as the Moab Area Community Land Trust, Grand County Economic Development Advisory Board, and Moab City Sustainability Plan.

Q: Pure Synergy is a certified B-corporation. What does being a B-corporation mean to you?

Certified B Corps meet the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility as verified by the non-profit entity B Lab. Being a B Corp means that Synergy goes the extra mile to conduct business in a responsible and ethical manner. We never sacrifice our values to maximize profit or put shareholders’ interests above stakeholders’ interests. As a Utah Benefit LLC, our business owners and officers are legally required to consider the impacts of their decisions on the environment and society at large. The Synergy Company publicly shares the ways in which it meets this legal requirement through an annual impact report published on our website.

Q. What environmental practices does Pure Synergy implement?

There are probably too many to name, but here are some of our top practices.

• We are dedicated to organic and regenerative agriculture practices within its supplier network. Organic and regenerative agriculture are effective climate action practices for food, nutrition, and CPG companies.
• We don’t use any toxic solvents, fillers, flow agents, or other substances in our ingredient processing and manufacturing operations. We also expect our various trade partners to adhere to the highest standards of product purity and potency.
• We use amber glass bottles to deliver our finished products. This ensures longer preservation of ingredient potency and avoids plastic in our product packaging.
• We offset more than 100% of our electricity and natural gas consumption with renewable energy credits.
• We haven’t reached this goal, but we’re targeting a “zero waste facility” status and certification.

Q: What is the most rewarding part of your work?

Enabling and empowering others to fulfill Synergy’s dual commitment to using business as a force for good and placing purpose on par with profit.

Q: What does sustainability mean to you?

At The Synergy Company, we define sustainability in a holistic and interconnected way. We prioritize creating and delivering long-term customer value over gaining short-term business advantage. We organize our work to be a dependable resource for our customers, employees, suppliers, and community – now and in the future. In other words, whether we’re looking at our environmental impacts, financial solvency, community connectedness, governance policies, or general business ethics, we can find a direct tie to long-term business sustainability.