Amway climbs natural gas pyramid

ATLANTA -- Amway's 25,000 Georgia distributors -- known for selling everything from cosmetics and skin care products to dishwashing liquid and dietary supplements -- will try their hand at natural gas.

In a novel arrangement, the consumer products company will promote natural gas sold by Virginia-based Columbia Energy, which is trying to capture some of Atlanta Gas Light's 1.4 million customers.

Because of its deregulation law, Georgia is the first target for what the two companies said will be a coast-to-coast joint energy marketing program that will add electricity and other products and services as state deregulation laws permit. Bruce Dawson, Columbia Energy vice president and general manager of mass marketing, said that Amway is "uniquely positioned to link consumers with the savings they can realize through deregulation." Columbia Energy is one of 19 companies that have been certified to sell natural gas in the Georgia market. John Parker, Amway's director of North American distributor relations, said the privately held company's part-time Georgia distributors would tout Columbia Energy when selling other Amway products to consumers. The consumers will be referred to a dedicated Amway toll-free telephone number at Columbia Energy, where they can contract for natural gas. Amway customers will be asked for their distributor's identification number, which will allow the distributors to earn $15 commissions per customer, Parker said. Additional bonuses and commissions will be paid to Amway distributors under the company's multilevel marketing plan. Parker declined to identify the totals. He said Amway will pay commissions to its distributors and receive payments from Columbia based on how many customers sign up. Parker said Amway has similar arrangements with MCI, Avis car rentals and Voice Tel, a voice mail service. He said Amway customers would get no deal that Columbia is not offering to the general public. Shawn Davis, a spokesman for the Public Service Commission, said the commission would "monitor the sales tactics" Amway uses for natural gas.

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