About Highland Labs


 



How it all came to be…

Since our inception in 1974, Highland Laboratories has passionately served the natural products industry pioneering the development of innovative and unique product formulations.

Highland Laboratories was founded by Mr. Ken Scott.  He has worked tirelessly to help keep Highland at the forefront of innovation, technology, and industry trends and regulation. 

ONE OF OREGON'S BEST GREEN COMPANIES

Here at Highland Laboratories, we’ve been packaging our supplements in Earth Friendly, Petroleum-Free bottles since 2006, the first dietary supplement manufacturer to do so. Made from corn resin rather than petroleum, these bottles use 68 percent less fossil fuel than petroleum-based bottles and are the world’s first greenhouse gas-neutral polymer. We’ve now completed the transition and all of our products are packaged in Petroleum-Free bottles as part of our environmentally sensitive business practices mission.

We also use recycled and/or treeless paper plant-wide. From the copy machines and laser printers to the printing presses in our in-house printing department, we favor recycled paper whenever possible. Furthermore, Highland Laboratories collects waste paper (in addition to plastics and cardboard) for recycling as part of our Earth Friendly campaign.

Not content with these measures, we’ve also implemented other energy-saving programs, including optional (where possible) 10 hour days – to reduce commuting, LED and other high efficiency lighting throughout the building, chemical and battery recycling, & special parking and charging for hybrids and Electric Vehicles. For more on our environmental mission, see the news items below!

FEATURED AT COP15 CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE

Highland Laboratories is excited and delighted to announce our presence at COP15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from Dec. 7-18, 2009.

Alpha Packaging®, our petroleum-free bottle manufacturer, has included our products in their product showcase as well as at their informational booth as one of the latest innovations in biomaterials (manufactured by NatureWorks®). Highland will be on display for the world to see as one of the pioneers of Earth-friendly, sustainable business solutions.

  

RESVERATROL RESVERATROL™ PRODUCTS CERTIFIED NATURAL

After much deliberation, formulating, testing, and reformulating, both of our Resveratrol Resveratrol products have been certified natural by the Natural Products Association (NPA, formerly NNFA). But really, what does "natural" mean? According to the NPA, "...the Natural Products Association Standard for Personal Care Products states that all personal care products labeled or branded "natural" must be made with at least 95% all-natural ingredients and contain only synthetic ingredients specifically allowed under this standard that do not have suspected human health risks." Rest assured when you purchase either our RRWR Face Cream™ or RRWR Body Lotion™ that you're providing your customers with a sensational product that's been specifically formulated to be the most natural product we could imagine.

 

FIRST TO INTRODUCE EARTH FRIENDLY VITAMIN BOTTLES TO U.S. MARKET

June 2006, Highland Laboratories is the first in the U.S. to package their supplements in earth friendly, plant-based plastics. Developed by Nature Works LLC, the bottles are made from corn dextrose instead of petroleum. The technology is finding its way into various packaging forms, including beverage containers, and "to-go" food boxes at natural food stores. Mt. Angel Vitamins is the first dietary supplement manufacturer to use the innovative material for vitamin bottles. These earth friendly bottles require 68 percent less fossil fuel as compared to petroleum-based plastics.

 

WE ENCOURAGE ECO-FRIENDLY PARKING

Highland Laboratories has strived to find eco-friendly means to conduct business since our inception over 34 years ago. Since switching to Petroleum-Free bottles in 2006, we've introduced a variety of energy-saving ideas:

To reduce our employees' emissions, we've offered optional 10-hour shifts, which result in 20% less driving. Highland has also created preferred Eco-Parking (45+ MPG only) and encourages car pooling for our out of town employees.

Internally, we have installed high-efficiency lighting and programmable thermostats to reduce the amount of energy our building consumes. Furthermore, we're early birds; starting our day earlier decreases the amount of time our machines (and plant in general) are operating during the hottest part of the day when energy use peaks.

 

Historical Timeline

1973
Chemist Ken Scott (owner of a health food store and consultant to a national vitamin manufacturer) meets John Arbuthnot (fellow Scotsman and entrepreneur).  Discuss a business venture together.

1974
Highland Laboratories is incorporated in Portland, Oregon.

1979-1980
Highland Laboratories outgrows it’s Portland facility.  Purchase and reconstruction begins on a 35,000 square foot facility in quaint Mt. Angel, Oregon.
1980 Candy Scott becomes Sales Manager; expands sales territory nationally.

1990-1994
1993 Highland begins international sales, beginning with Japan and Russia.
Highland has challenges with the FDA; works with industry to influence congress; Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) passes in 1994.

1997
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is adopted.  Currently, Highland employees own 30% of the company’s stock.
97-98 Highland is awarded the Oregon Technology “Fast 50” Award two years in a row.

1999
Candy Scott becomes CEO. Ken semi-retires & becomes Chairman of the Board and Cosmetic Formula Advisor.

2000
Ken receives a Certificate of Higher Education in Cosmetic Science from the London College of Fashion.

2001
Ken receives a US Patent on his formula for “Transdermal Penetration”.

2003
Highland undergoes major upgrades of facilities and equipment, while keeping the charm of the 1940’s Creamery in place.

2004
NNFA (National Nutritional Foods Association) awards Highland GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) “A” Rating.

2006
Highland awarded “Best New Green Product” Finalist at Expo East.

2007
Highland upgrades existing plant management software with a state-the-art Enterprise Resource Planning software package.

2009
Analytical Lab expands with both new personnel and ELAN ICP-MS equipment.

2010
Highland transitions to in-house Digital Printing Press technology to improve efficiency and turnaround time.

2012
Highland begins offering EV charging for employees, and designates Eco-Parking area.  Current vehicles include several Prius Hybrids, a Plug-In Prius, a Chevrolet Volt and a Tesla Model S.

2013
Highland upgrades laboratory equipment again to include GCMS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry) equipment.

 2017
Highland Laboratories is Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth.
Oregon Tilth  USDA Organic