Allen Skolnick

The industry mourns the loss of Allen Skolnick, owner and operator of Solgar Vitamin and Herb, who passed away on April 24. Connie Skolnick, his wife, died just one month earlier, on March 28. The couple followed Nathaniel Colby, founder of Solgar, in leading the business. Though not technically related to the Skolnicks, Colby mentored Allen and was referred to as the first of three tight-knit generations to run Solgar, according to family friend and former colleague, William P. Arthur of Nutraceutical Solutions Consulting/Nouveau Niche Marketing. Allen and Connie were strong supporters of independent health food stores, and they knew all of their customers by name and their son Rand followed them in this tradition as he succeeded his parents in operating the Solgar business for many years until his untimely death in 2008. Instrumental in the dietary supplements industry's progress, Allen was well known for his involvement in the creation and passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.