Nu Skin Enterprises Inc. of Provo is preparing to launch business operations Aug. 8 in Indonesia, which will be its 41st market.

The Indonesian operations will be directed by general manager Agung Sardjono, an experienced executive in the direct selling industry who joined Nu Skin after 15 years as president director of Avon Indonesia.

"We look forward to developing a solid market in Indonesia as we offer our innovative products and compelling business opportunity to the 240 million people who live there," Nu Skin president and chief executive Truman Hunt said.

Nu Skin primarily distributes products through a multilevel, or direct-sales, marketing structure. That format richly rewards those at the top of its pyramid-like sales organization.

Distributors at the bottom of the pyramid frequently make little or no money.

Hunt said Indonesia is one of the top 25 direct-selling markets in the world. Sales have nearly doubled over the past five years, reaching more than $500 million annually.

- Steven Oberbeck

Snoopy to 'fly' Utah skies

Salt Lake City-based Smart Bomb Interactive Inc. has landed a contract to create a Snoopy video game, complete with classic Peanuts characters.

"Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" will be ready for PlayStation, Xbox and PC video game systems by October 2006, Smart Bomb said.

Santa Clara, Calif.-based video game publisher Namco Hometec Inc. hired Smart Bomb to create the Peanuts video game.

The game will pit Snoopy against the Red Baron, his nemesis, in World War I-era fighter planes.

"Development is off to a rapid start," said Clark Stacey, Smart Bomb vice president and creative director.

"We're having a lot of fun creating an interactive experience that Charles M. Schulz would be proud of," Stacey said.

- Rosemary Winters

Alltel acquisition wins OK

The Justice Department tentatively has approved Alltel Corp.'s $4.4 billion acquisition of Western Wireless Corp. on condition that Alltel divest some of its properties.

To proceed, Little Rock, Ark.-based Alltel must sell assets in Arkansas, Kansas and Nebraska that it gets from Western Wireless.

Alltel also will have to shed the Cellular One service mark that it will acquire.

In purchasing Bellevue, Wash.-based Western Wireless, Alltel will move into Utah and eight other states - California, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming - where it has not had a presence before. That will expand Alltel's holdings into 33 states.

Alltel will have $10 billion in overall revenue and 10 million wireless customers, many of whom live in rural areas.

Deputy Assistant Attorney General J. Bruce McDonald said the divestiture requirements will help ensure competitive prices for services for mobile phone customers.

The $4.4 billion cash and stock purchase was announced Jan. 10.

The deal will lift Alltel to the No. 5 slot among U.S. wireless carriers.

- The Associated Press