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Schmidt's Naturals
FormerlySchmidt's Deodorant Company
IndustryPersonal Care
Founded2015 Edit this on Wikidata
FateAcquired by Unilever (2017)
Headquarters
Portland, Oregon
,
United States
Key people
  • Jaime Schmidt (Co-Founder & CEO 2010-2017; Spokesperson 2017-present)
  • Michael Cammarata (Co-Founder 2015-2017; CEO 2017-2019)
  • Ryu Yokoi (CEO, 2019-present)
ProductsPersonal Care & Home Products
ParentUnilever
Websiteschmidts.com

Schmidt's Deodorant Company, LLC (dba Schmidt's Naturals)[1] is an American personal care company based in Portland, Oregon. A subsidiary of Unilever, Schmidt's Naturals manufactures and sells plant and mineral-based personal care products including natural deodorant, soap, and toothpaste.[2][3][4][5]

History

[edit]

In 2011 Jaime Schmidt, a mother and social worker in Portland, Oregon, began making personal care products in her kitchen.[6][7][8][9][10] Over the next 4 years, Schmidt sold her products at farmers’ markets and co-ops around Portland, eventually gaining shelf space at a regional Whole Foods.[11][12] By 2014, Schmidt had refined her all-natural product line down to five deodorant scents, all sold in small glass jars with an applicator.[12][13][14]

Investment

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In late 2014, Schmidt accepted investor Michael Cammarata's offer to invest in her company in exchange for equity.[12][15][16] In January 2015, the new partners, Cammarata and Schmidt officially formed Schmidt's Deodorant Company, LLC.

Growth

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Over the next two years, Schmidt and Cammarata grew the new company rapidly from 4 employees to over 160:[12] moving from a 1,200-square-foot space to a 5,000-square-foot (460 m2) facility and then into one almost three times that size.[12][15] During this time, with Cammarata focused on the business and Schmidt on the product, the company introduced new formulations, produced a stick variation, and rebranded.[17][18][19]

In 2016, Schmidt's launched an exclusive partnership with its first big retailer Target.com and was named Manufacturer of the Year in the small company category by the Portland Business Journal.[14][20] By late 2016, Schmidt's had grown to almost 50 employees and offered 10 stick deodorants and 6 jar formulations.[12] As the naturals segment continued to grow, Schmidt's Deodorant Company attracted the attention of large retailers.[21]

Rebrand

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In June 2017, Schmidt and Cammarata were named Pacific NorthWest Entrepreneurs of the Year by EY (formerly Ernst & Young).[22] In September, they introduced a line of plant and mineral-based soaps, rebranding the company as Schmidt's Naturals; in November, they released toothpastes.[6][12][23] By late 2017, the company had scaled to 120 employees with a 30,000 square-foot facility in Portland, Oregon and customer support center in Florida.[24]

Unilever acquisition

[edit]

In December 2017, after months of negotiation by Schmidt and Cammarata, Unilever, acquired Schmidt's Naturals for an undisclosed sum.[25][26][27] After the acquisition, Cammarata became chief executive officer of Schmidt's Naturals [14] and Schmidt continued on as brand spokesperson.[28][29][30][31][32] Following the Unilever acquisition, the company broadened its product line with the introduction of body wash, mouthwash, and home care products.[15] Between January and August 2018, with Cammarata at the helm, Schmidt's Naturals grew by 300% in sales.[33]

In August 2018, Schmidt's Naturals partnered with Cammarata's family friend, Jane Goodall to develop the special edition deodorant scent “Lily of the Valley” with 5% of the proceeds going to the Jane Goodall Institute.[34] In May 2019, Schmidt's announced a collaboration with pop star Justin Bieber to create a new deodorant called “Here + Now,” which was designed for sensitive skin.[35] The company also started using an AI platform, Alexander, to handle its customer services and to collect data.[36] In July 2019, Schmidt's Naturals began selling deodorant products with hemp seed oil, including Rose + Black Pepper and Sage + Vetiver.[37] In July 2019, Michael Cammarata left the company and Unilever executive Ryu Yokoi transitioned to chief executive officer.[38]

References

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  1. ^ "sunbiz.org - Florida Department of State". dos.sunbiz.org. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  2. ^ George-Cosh, David (2019-04-09). "Unilever subsidiary Schmidt's Natural to launch hemp, CBD deodorant products". BNN Bloomberg. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  3. ^ "Unilever buys Portland personal care company Schmidt's". ROI-NJ. 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  4. ^ "Schmidt's Naturals Launches A Fall-Inspired Deodorant", www.beautypackaging.com,.
  5. ^ Lauren Yoshiko, "Schmidt’s Naturals Bar Soap Are Gems in the Bathroom", www.wweek.com, November 28, 2017.
  6. ^ a b Earle, Paul. "How To Win By Breaking GOOD: The Story Of Schmidt's Naturals". Forbes.
  7. ^ "Don't Obsess Over the Obstacles, Says the Founder of Schmidt's Naturals". Entrepreneur. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  8. ^ Schmidt, Jaime (2019-12-02). "And so, my after-work hours were spent reading product development books and trying my hand at the stove making soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, foot creams, tinctures, and deodorant. My tiny kitchen had been transformed into a lab.pic.twitter.com/kNKVFoKTi3". @jaimelynschmidt. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  9. ^ Chhabra, Esha (May 30, 2019). "How This Oregon Brand Went From A Small Business To A Global Powerhouse In Wellness". Forbes.
  10. ^ Schmidt, Jaime (2019-12-02). "10 yrs ago, I googled 'classes in Portland.' A class called 'DIY Shampoo' caught my eye. Making my own shampoo sounded fun, plus my family was on a lean budget & it couldn't hurt to save a few bucks by making our own products. The class was that same night. I signed up". @jaimelynschmidt. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  11. ^ "The founder of personal-care brand Schmidt's Naturals on the exact steps she took to go from making deodorants in her kitchen to getting acquired by Unilever". BusinessInsider. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Sandler, Emma (May 23, 2018). "How Schmidt's Naturals Made Deodorant In A Jar Fashionable". Forbes. Retrieved June 22, 2020.</ref.
  13. ^ "Can a natural deodorant keep you healthy and smelling fresh?". Fox News. 6 December 2015. Retrieved 2020-02-18.
  14. ^ a b c Berthene, April (2018-10-12). "The secret ingredients to Schmidt's natural deodorant's success". Digital Commerce 360. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  15. ^ a b c Wischhover, Cheryl (2018-01-19). "Big Beauty Is Buying Into Natural Deodorants". Racked. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  16. ^ "The Business of Wellness: How Schmidt's Changed the Naturals Game". Well Insiders. 2019-02-18. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  17. ^ "Her Startup Went From Farmers' Markets to Big Acquisition in Just 7 Years. Now She's Helping the Next Generation Succeed".
  18. ^ "Meet 3 Founders Who Helped Turn Deodorant Into the Hottest Skin Care Product of 2019".
  19. ^ "How the Founder of Schmidt's Naturals Went From Zero to a Nine-Figure Exit". 15 January 2020.
  20. ^ "2016 Manufacturer of the Year Schmidt's Deodorant Company LLC", bizjournals.com,.
  21. ^ Wischhover, Cheryl (2017-08-22). "The Best-Selling Products from the Hottest Natural Beauty Stores". Racked. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  22. ^ "2 Portland companies named entrepreneurs of the year". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  23. ^ Salazar, David (September 27, 2017). "Schmidt's Naturals moves beyond deodorant with latest launch". Drug Store News. EnsembleIQ. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  24. ^ Raphael, Rina (August 2, 2017). "Forget Avocado Toast: Millennials Are Flocking To Natural Deodorant". Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  25. ^ "How The Founder Of Schmidt's Naturals Is Doing Her Part To Close The Venture Capital Gender Gap". Forbes.
  26. ^ Ang, Katerina. "Americans are so obsessed with how they smell that Unilever just bought this hipster deodorant brand". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  27. ^ https://www.unilever.com/Images/ir-q4-2017-full-announcement_tcm244-515314_en.pdf [bare URL PDF]
  28. ^ "Unilever Steps Into The Growing Natural Deodorant Segment With Purchase Of Schmidt's Naturals". Beauty Independent. 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2019-12-18.
  29. ^ Giegerich, Andy (March 8, 2018). "Behind the Schmidt's-Unilever deal that takes a Portland hygiene products company global". Portland Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved July 27, 2018.
  30. ^ "This Natural Toothpaste Comes In Charcoal And Coconut Flavors. Can It Take On Colgate?", www.fastcompany.com, January 22, 2018.
  31. ^ "Unilever To Acquire Schmidt's Naturals Personal Care Company", www.esmmagazine.com, December 15, 2017.
  32. ^ "Unilever to acquire Schmidt’s Naturals", www.unilever.com, December 14, 2017.
  33. ^ "8 months in, indie brand Schmidt's Naturals is adjusting to life at Unilever". Glossy. 2018-08-30. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  34. ^ "Schmidt's Naturals Partners with JGI Using One of Jane's Favorite Scents". Jane Goodall's Good for All News. 2018-08-28. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  35. ^ Ilchi, Layla (2019-05-21). "Justin Bieber Is Making Deodorant". WWD. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  36. ^ "Unilever-owned Schmidt's Naturals is using AI to handle customer service". Digiday. 2019-05-23. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  37. ^ Linnane, Ciara. "Unilever's Schmidt's Naturals to launch hemp-oil deodorants in September". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2020-02-01.
  38. ^ "A new top marketer at Reebok and an unlikely retail collab: Marketer's Brief". adage.com. 2019-07-10. Retrieved 2020-02-06.
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