What happened to Tom Mower Neways ? Tom Mower known as Thomas “Tom” E. Mower, Sr. (1942-2020) was a pioneering American entrepreneur whose legacy is defined by his association with the global multi-level marketing (MLM) enterprise, Neways International. As a co-founder, Mower championed a visionary product philosophy that significantly contributed to the modern clean-label movement. The story of Tom Mower Neways is a chapter in the history of the health and wellness industry, marked by rapid global expansion and a significant corporate transition.
The Foundation of Neways: From Industrial Chemistry to the Clean-Label Mission
Mower’s career began in industrial chemistry during the 1970s. Working with his then-wife and business partner, Leslie DeeAnn Mower, the couple operated a commercial chemical company called Nubrite. This hands-on experience with industrial compounds became the unexpected catalyst for the creation of Neways. Mower realized that many of the potentially toxic substances they handled were also routinely included in common consumer goods.
This awareness spurred the development of the “Mower Mission”—an uncompromising commitment to formulate and sell products free of ingredients Mower deemed potentially harmful, substituting them with safer, science-backed alternatives.
Neways International and the Toxic-Free Movement
This philosophy came to life with the official launch of Neways International in 1992 in Springville, Utah. Neways rapidly distinguished itself as an early leader in the toxic-free and clean-label space.
The company created a stringent “No-No List” of ingredients to avoid, pushing for a level of transparency and ingredient scrutiny that was groundbreaking for the time. This list included specific compounds like Aluminum Chlorohydrate (often found in antiperspirants), DEA (Diethanolamine), certain parabens, and talc, long before these exclusions became industry standards. This focus on “safer alternatives” gave Neways a distinct competitive edge.
The company adopted the multi-level marketing (MLM) model to distribute its nutritional supplements, personal care products, and cosmetics. Under Tom Mower’s direction, Neways built a powerful worldwide network of independent distributors, achieving massive sales growth and establishing a dominant presence in international markets, especially in Australia and Japan. The company’s name became synonymous with its clean-label product integrity.
Significant Corporate Transition and Change in Ownership
Despite the worldwide success and rapid growth of Neways International, the complexity of the company’s financial structure and the Mowers’ personal business dealings eventually led to a period of significant legal and financial scrutiny in the mid-2000s. This culminated in the founders needing to step away from the company they built.
The Sale of Tom Mower’s Neways International
In November 2006, the Mowers finalised the sale of their ownership stake in Neways International. The buyer was the San Francisco-based private equity firm, Golden Gate Capital. This transaction marked the end of the founders’ era and ushered in a new chapter for the company. Tom Mower was heartbroken to sell Neways, and this left many distributors disheartened as they were worried about the product integrity being compromised with the new owners. According to an unnamed source, the reformulation of the Maximol Solutions began within two weeks of Neways being sold. Thereafter, the other formulas were slowly reformulated to save manufacturing costs. This was the start of the disintegration of the Mower Mission.
Following the change in ownership, the company was subsequently reorganised, and its operations were eventually rebranded and evolved into the contemporary direct sales entity known as Modere. The sale ensured the continuity of the business while fundamentally changing its leadership and direction as well as many of the product formulas.
Post-Neways Ventures and Mower’s Enduring Legacy
The transition of Neways did not stop Tom Mower’s entrepreneurial drive. Demonstrating his long-term commitment to controlling the manufacturing process, he established SupraNaturals, a private label manufacturing facility for supplements and personal care products in Utah.
The Continuation of the Mission through Sisel
In 2006, Mower launched Sisel International (Sisel standing for Science, Innovation, Success, Energy, and Longevity). Sisel was established with his son, Tom Mower Jr., to directly continue the core principles of the original “Mower Mission.” The company continues to focus on developing and distributing high-quality, non-toxic wellness products, manufactured at their own facility, thereby ensuring the Mower family’s product philosophy remained active in the direct sales market.
Tom Mower, Sr. passed away suddenly on August 2, 2020, at the age of 78. He is remembered as an energetic visionary whose emphasis on ingredient transparency and product safety had a lasting influence on the consumer goods sector. The legacy of Tom Mower Neways endures, representing a crucial starting point for the clean-label trend and the foundation of a major global direct sales operation.
The Mower Mission continues today with his son Tom Mower Jr, Tom Mower Jr Jr, Kayden Mower and Leisel Mower. If you are interested in trying Tom Mower’s new product formulations with Sisel please contact Katie Larking Sisel Distributor) or create and account using this link to order the Sisel products.
Last Updated on October 27, 2025 by Katie Sisel Distributor
