# Verdis Norton

> Verdis Lamar Norton was a Utah-born business strategist and executive who spent more than four decades in senior roles at companies including General Foods, Hobart and Kraft Foods, then co-founded direct-selling company ASEA at age 69. His second act grew from an abandoned retirement into a business operating across more than 34 countries, and his public record reveals a leader who measured enterprise by the people it developed.

- **Role:** Founder, retired, ASEA
- **Organizations:** ASEA, Kraft Foods, General Foods, Hobart, United States Coast Guard
- **From:** LaPoint, Utah, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Business degree, University of Utah
- **Known for:** Built a corporate career of more than 40 years, including senior leadership roles at General Foods, Hobart and Kraft Foods., Co-founded ASEA at age 69 and guided its early strategy and international growth., Helped build a company whose products were sold in more than 34 countries by the end of his life.

## Career timeline

- **Before 1966** — Served in the United States Coast Guard, then worked full time while attending college and raising a young family.
- **1966** — Earned a business degree from the University of Utah.
- **1960s-1990s** — Built a 40-plus-year corporate career that included senior leadership roles at General Foods, Hobart and Kraft Foods.
- **1997** — Returned to Utah with his wife Bonnie and attempted retirement.
- **2000** — Began service with Bonnie as a director of the Family Tree Center Genealogy Library on Main Street in Park City.
- **2006-2007** — Joined the board of a Utah biotechnology company and helped organize the acquisition of its shelved technology.
- **2007** — Co-founded ASEA with partners including James Pack and his son Tyler Norton.
- **2010** — ASEA officially launched its direct-selling operation.
- **2015** — Retired from active leadership at ASEA; the company marked the transition at events in Cancun and Salt Lake City.
- **2025** — Died on April 14 at age 85, surrounded by family in Utah.

## Achievements

- Built a corporate career of more than 40 years, including senior leadership roles at General Foods, Hobart and Kraft Foods.
- Co-founded ASEA at age 69 and guided its early strategy and international growth.
- Helped build a company whose products were sold in more than 34 countries by the end of his life.
- Had ASEA's research facility named the Verdis L. Norton Center for Redox Life Sciences.
- Served with his wife as a director of the Family Tree Center Genealogy Library in Park City.

## Latest updates

- **2025-04** — Verdis Norton died on April 14, 2025, at age 85; ASEA and Direct Selling News published memorials to its founder.

## Links

- Website: https://aseaglobal.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/verdis-norton-0b00b298

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/verdis-norton
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-22