Amway — The American Way: how the dream of two friends became a history of global opportunities

**Amway — The American Way: how the dream of two friends became a history of global opportunities**

In 1959, in a small American town, two friends decided to start their own business. Their goal was not to create a global company — they were united by a much more personal desire: to determine their own future. 67 years later, this idea has become an international history spanning more than 100 countries and territories.

Amway is opening a new chapter of its history in Uzbekistan.

Behind the company's current scale still lie values that are close and understandable to every person: high-quality products for daily life, the opportunity to build one's own business, and a community of people who support each other's development.

Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel met in Grand Rapids, Michigan, when they were still in school. Their characters were very different, but they soon realized how similar their visions of the future were. Rich later said: "Jay and I turned out to be two parts of a whole."

Even during World War II, when they were far apart, they did not stop writing letters and making plans for the future. "We knew one thing for sure: we would do business together," Rich recalled. Before Amway was founded, the friends tried their hand at sales, the restaurant business, and even running their own flight school.

Not everything was successful. Once, the friends set sail for the Caribbean in an old sailboat, but the boat sank near the coast of Cuba. They themselves were rescued by a passing ship. However, failure did not deter subsequent attempts. They learned to start over, take calculated risks, and keep moving forward.

In 1959, in Ada, Michigan, Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel founded Amway.

The name Amway comes from the phrase American Way.

For the founders, this way was associated with initiative, independence, and the right of a person to build their own future.

The idea was simple: an entrepreneur does not have to build everything from scratch. The company can provide products, technologies, tools, education, and infrastructure, while the person builds relationships with customers, develops skills, and builds their own business.

A person cannot sincerely recommend to others what they do not believe in themselves. Therefore, for Amway, the product has never been just a part of the business — it has, first and foremost, been the foundation of consumer trust.

Amway is not limited to a single product line. The company's global portfolio covers broad categories that have entered people's daily lives: nutrition and well-being solutions, beauty and personal care, oral and hair care, laundry and home cleaning products, water and air purification systems, as well as kitchen products.

Behind these products lie an international scientific and manufacturing infrastructure, research, innovation, and multi-stage quality control. Here, a high standard of quality is not just an advertising phrase — it is a requirement for the creation and production process of every product.

It is this combination of trust in the product, human relations, and entrepreneurial opportunity that became one of the foundations of Amway's growth.

Today, Amway offers entrepreneurs not only products but also a support system.

This is a carefully developed marketing plan, education, incentive programs and international travel, mentorship, and a community where one can exchange experience and develop practical skills.

For some, this is the first step in entrepreneurship. For others, it is new competencies, a new circle of acquaintances, or an additional line of activity.

But the value of such a path is not limited only to commercial results.

Entrepreneurship teaches communication, discipline, listening to the customer, setting goals, making decisions, and taking responsibility for one's own development.

Today, Amway operates in more than 100 countries and territories.

The company still remains a private family business, and the next generations of the founders' families continue to participate in its future.

The idea that began as the desire of two friends to create their own business has over time turned into an international entrepreneurial platform.

The scale has changed. The geography has expanded. New products, technologies, and markets have appeared.

But the original idea has not changed: to give a person the opportunity to build their own path, relying on quality products, knowledge, and community support.

On September 1, 2026, Amway officially began its operations in Uzbekistan.

Millions of people around the world use Amway products every day. For nearly seven decades, the company has been becoming a part of people's daily lives, aspirations for well-being, and entrepreneurial goals.

The history that began as the dream of two friends in Michigan now continues in Uzbekistan. But that same belief remains unchanged: sometimes the path to a better life begins with one person's decision to say, "I will try."