Bubble & Bee finds organic niche
White marker-boards cover walls of the home, which serves as headquarters of Bubble & Bee Organic. On one board is a list: "Due Nov. 15: Pit Putty = 800, Lip Balm = 1,800, Lotion Sticks = 600, Geranium Lime = 800."
The list is for products that the rapidly growing company will stock in Whole Foods Markets, after making agreements this month to stock products in 16 Whole Foods stores in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Idaho and Wyoming an increase from four Utah stores in which Bubble & Bee has been supplying products since July 1.
Bubble & Bee makes and sells organic deodorant, shampoo, shower gels, soaps, lotion sticks, lip balms, salt scrubs and bath salts. Growth has been so fast that Greenwood and Thomas, who are partners in life as well as in business, are still not quite sure of their profit margins, how they want to grow, or even how big they want their company to become.
"One of our issues is we're kind of just going, and we're not able to say how profitable we are on a daily basis when things are changing," Thomas said.
The couple began experimenting with personal-care products when they lived in Phoenix. Greenwood wanted products that didn't contain parabens and phthalates. She had suffered the effects of hormonal imbalance most of her life, and through research, she learned that some of the chemicals in products that she put on her body, such as parabens and phthalates, could be contributing to the problem.
"They're estrogen mimickers," she said. "They act like estrogen in the body."
The products she could find that didn't have parabens and phthalates contained other chemicals, "and I thought, why can't I make something that's chemical-free?" she said.
Working in her kitchen, she developed a lotion stick made of beeswax, cocoa butter and essential oils. She gave them to family and friends, who encouraged her to go into business.
The couple moved back to Utah in 2006 to be closer to Greenwood's family. She took a job as a videographer at Channel 2. He worked in marketing at Eco Moto. They developed the personal-care products business on the side.
In the summer of 2007, Greenwood and Thomas began selling products at the Downtown Farmers Market in Salt Lake City to test the popularity of Bubble & Bee with the general public. They launched bubbleandbee.com in October 2007.
"Last Christmas was amazing," Thomas said. "We had just started the Web site in October, and by mid-November, we did $3,000 in sales."
This year, they expect about $20,000 in sales over the holidays.
Comments
- 'Drop Dead Diva' is frothy fun 6:14 p.m.
- Vail's mountain cross inspiring 6:14 p.m.
- Bishop on a mission 6:14 p.m.
- Look for face of God in others 6:14 p.m.
- Religion briefs 6:14 p.m.
- Teachings on adultery after Sanford 6:14 p.m.
- Church camps closing doors 6:14 p.m.
- Religion around the world 6:14 p.m.
- Did daughter not pay for car? 6:13 p.m.
- Ra Ra Riot brings groove to S.L. 6:13 p.m.
- LDS seminary principal arrested
- Jazz talking Boozer trade?
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
- Jazz in back of line for free agents
- A primer for the 6th Potter film
- Okur signs two-year extension
- Jazz won't meet Lopez on Europe trip
- Restaurant destroyed by fire
- Mall owner seeks to retain zoning
- Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Letters: Palin mistreated
141 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
137 - LDS seminary principal arrested
135 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
134 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
123 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
91 - Moon landing: Let's hear from you
83 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
74
As more and more dads are put out of work in this economy, I've been...
The photographs are mysterious, brooding, dark. They show dimples and...
Brown is ANOTHER teams property, the jazz can't sign him.
Actually it was Mr. Rush Limbaugh who invented the Internet. Rush knows...
Boozer you deserve a team like Sac, we will take Nocioni and their first...
Hear Hear! Excellent letter from a man with a most excellent name. (Yes,...
What a great organization! Good luck in helping children, families, and...
I think you are ALL missing the obvious. Just skip the middleman portland...
Its a good thing YBU has Heaps, Apo, and Stout to use as recruiting power...
Assuming the charges are truthful, he has done a lot of damage to the...
The jazz need to let sap go for sure. 8+change is just too much, especially...
The letter is oversimplified. But then so is the assertion that CO2 can...



You can be the first to comment on this story.