Business · Companies · 7 hrs ago
Jorge Vergara’s path from selling carnitas to building Omnilife
Jorge Vergara began his career in Mexico as a commercial executive at Casolar, which went bankrupt during the country’s economic crisis in the 1980s.
After losing his job, he started selling pork carnitas and worked long days preparing food for customers and running his own shop.
He also opened an Italian restaurant, but the projects did not bring the success he wanted, and the strain affected his health.
Vergara moved to the United States and joined Herbalife, where he sold supplements through a network of distributors.
At 31, he became the company’s top salesperson nationally in the United States, then partnered with two American businesspeople to create Omnitrition USA in 1989.
The business expanded into Mexico two years later, with Vergara leading its commercial operations.
It became Omnilife in 2000, growing from a project started with $10,000 in borrowed money into a Guadalajara-based group of 19 companies.
Jorge Vergara’s business path began with selling pork carnitas after Casolar went bankrupt and he lost his job.
He later moved to the United States, where he became Herbalife’s top salesperson nationally.
In 1989, he partnered with two US businessmen to create Omnitrition USA.
The business reached Mexico two years later, with Vergara responsible for its commercial operations.
It adopted the name Omnilife in 2000 and grew into a group based in Guadalajara with 19 companies.
- Who
- Jorge Vergara, a Mexican businessman.
- What
- He moved from selling carnitas and other ventures to building the business that became Omnilife.
- When
- His path included events from 1978 through Omnilife’s adoption of its name in 2000.
- Where
- Mexico and the United States; Omnilife is based in Guadalajara.
- Why
- After Casolar went bankrupt and he lost his job, Vergara sought another source of income and later pursued business opportunities in the United States.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
At age 23, Vergara became commercial deputy director at Casolar, a company belonging to Alfa.
Casolar went bankrupt amid Mexico’s economic crisis, and Vergara had to look for another source of income.
Vergara moved to the United States and became Herbalife’s top salesperson nationally at age 31.
Vergara partnered with two US businessmen to establish Omnitrition USA.
The project came to Mexico, with Vergara in charge of commercial operations.
The company officially adopted the name Omnilife.
- Casolar role
- Commercial deputy director from 1978
- Herbalife sales
- First place nationally in the United States at age 31
- Omnitrition USA
- Created in 1989
- Initial funding
- $10,000 borrowed
- Omnilife name
- Adopted in 2000
- Company group
- 19 companies, based in Guadalajara
1 source
What people are saying
My hobby was cooking, so I started cooking pork carnitas.
I got up at 4 in the morning to fry the meat and started making the meat and salsa for the torteros who made ahogadas, delivering them at 6 in the morning and then going to open my own little shop, and that’s how I worked all day.