Local wellness products firm targets France

BRADENTON — It Works Global, which sells a line of wellness, health and skincare products through multi-level marketing, is expanding to France.

The country will be the 12th nation that It Works has a presence in, according to a release. It Works had $200 million in 2012 sales, and its founder, Mark Pentecost, was named the Business Observer's Entrepreneur of the Year in May for the firm's fast growth. Pentecost founded the company in 2001 in Grand Rapids, Mich. One of its key products is the Ultimate Body Applicator wrap, a contouring product the firm claims will tighten, tone and firm any area of the body in 45 minutes.

“We are eager to bring our flagship product, the It Works Wrap, and eight additional products to France and, most importantly, to sharing the It Works way of friendships, fun and freedom,” Pentecost says in the release. “We've highly anticipated this opportunity.”

The firm will have a sales force in France, the release states, and will also provide French language support to customers and distributors. It Works first expanded outside the U.S. in 2009, when it entered Canada. Australia and some European countries followed. The firm, with more than 60,000 independent product distributors worldwide, says it plans further global expansion over the next five years.