I really can’t believe it! Our company, Herb’n Organics, is 2 years old! We made our first sale April 19, 2008, at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, and our first customer was Jennifer Wadsworth, founder of Arizona Home Grown Solutions and a good friend. How did it all come about???
Candice Hartwell and I met on June 29, 2007, at a birthday gathering over brunch and champagne. She came with our friend Phil–we hadn’t met before. Since we didn’t know each other, she gifted me with her handcrafted household cleaning products because, as she puts it, “I knew you were an ecologist, so I figured you’d appreciate ‘green’”! She had that right. Her business card was taped to the bottles, Herb’n Organics.
That was the beginning of an amazing voyage. I realized that what she had created were fantastic household cleaning products that are chemical free, with all natural ingredients, and safe, safe, safe— products that young moms and chemically sensitive people had been searching for as I read their blogs and letters to editors. Candice and I started talking about perhaps starting a business, but it had to be developed along sustainable pathways. It took us a few months to hammer out our mission and to begin building a product line.
First came the ‘Big 3″ our Green Clean Products…Arctic Blast, Oh, So Orange Furniture Frappe and Peppermint Power. Then came Asana room spray, soon followed by Monsoon and Shanti room sprays to overcome the sometimes unpleasant odors left behind in a yoga classroom. Our Go Green Dog products came about when a customers at market showed us her dog’s painful and itchy skin condition–the result of too many washings with chemical laden commercial pet shampoos. Candice looked at the suffering pup and said, “I can do something about that” and she did.
Whole Foods Markets approached us to become a vendor in March 2008. D’arcy Landis met Candice at market and was impressed by our products and our mission. We realized that we needed to tighten up our carbon footprint in order to join Whole Foods and began searching for high quality USA made plastic spray bottles. It wasn’t easy, but we now have great bottles made in California…a much smaller footprint than our initial ‘made in China’ bottles.
During our first 2 years, we have worked diligently to become more and more local and sustainable in our production and marketing. We are member of Local First Arizona and committed to their 10% shift–purchasing from Arizona-owned businesses whenever possible. We found a wonderful local print company that provides us with paper created with wind energy, banners and labels made of re-purposed vinyl and inks that are water based. We found a delightful lady who makes old-fashioned soap flakes, and we found several family-owned product ingredient suppliers. Our market accessories are hand-made by a fellow market vendor, Helen Sands, she of the organic cotton washcloths and nylon netting scrubbies that we tuck into our market baskets.
We owe a special shout out to Cindy Gentry, director of the Downtown Phoenix Public Market, who has consistently supported our efforts and provided invaluable encouragement. Thanks for making us a part of the new Urban Market!
We’re still producing our wonderful products in the cottage on the back of my property, lovingly dubbed “the Peppermint Palace” and doing all our own deliveries, but we have expansion and growth aspirations. We believe we have the best products on the market and as word spreads we have been growing even in the current economic downturn. We are fully committed to becoming ever more environmentally responsible to ourselves, our customers and the earth’s web of residents. It’s been a gratifying journey thus far with lots of learning curves, challenges and joy. Our next steps involve extending our Arizona market area with the help of a green delivery company and a green bottling operation.
But for now, and in closing, we’d just like to say a huge Thank You to all our wonderful customers!! Thanks for your feedback and suggestions. Thanks for bringing your friends, family and bottles back to our booth. Thanks for buying Herb’N Organics at Whole Foods Markets, at the Urban Market, at Tempe Farmers Market and Tempe Feed and Tack. Thanks to the health care community for your support! And special thanks to local animal hospitals for using Arctic Blast to clean kennels and freshen the air for our 4-legged friends!

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