About the Company

• Badger was founded in 1995 by Bill Whyte in Gilsum, New Hampshire. The first product created was a hand balm made specifically for carpenters that would help heal and soothe rough, cracked skin. As of 2018, the company is run by his two daughters, Rebecca Hamilton and Emily Schwerin-Whyte, and they sell over 100 different products.
• Before Bill Whyte started Badger, he owned a small contracting business in New Hampshire. He produced his own mix of beeswax and olive oil to soothe the cracked skin on his hands and named it "Bear Paw." After giving it to some of his friends and hearing how much they loved it, he decided to build a business out of it.
• All products produced by Badger are made specifically with ingredients that require minimal processing, follow a sustainable supply chain, and are healthy for the human body.
• The company mission of Badger is to produce pure, high quality, and effective products that will heal and protect users. They also want to be a fair but profitable company that focuses not on money, but expanding their vision and reach (with money fueling them rather than being the goal).
• Badger has been a B Corporation since 2011, meaning that they meet the four key principles of a B Corp. for economic and environmental health.
• As a means to remain heavily family-friendly, Badger offers their employees flexible scheduling for parents, 2 weeks of paid leave for secondary parents and 5 weeks paid for primary parents after birth, adoption, and/or fostering, as well as extended leave with job protection for 6 months. The option also exists for employees to bring their child to work with them for the first 6 months if they prefer.
• Badger also reimburses their employees for child care up to $200/week or $800/year, per child. As of 2013, they also offer an on-site child care center that runs full time and is partially subsidized.

Marketing History

• When Bill Whyte first decided to start his business, Badger, he actually wanted to name it Bear Paw. However, after learning the name was already trademarked, he landed on Badger because it is a known healing totem and promotes family and overcoming obstacles.
• After designing his first product, Badger Balm (for carpenters with cracked skin), he came up with a product design label that his friends told him looked "skeletal and medieval" and even frightening, because it was nothing more than a badger paw. After that, Whyte hired a graphic designer, who then came up with a full cartoon of a badger that was much more approachable and became the company logo.
• In order to get his products out there, after manufacturing 10,000 tins of Badger Balm, Whyte managed to get many local stores in his town to purchase boxes of his product to sell at checkout counters. Since then, the company has grown significantly but is still striving to maintain their same goals and company ideals.

Product Philosophy

• According to their Philosophy of Formulation, Badger is more focused on creating products that they, their families, and friends will be delighted with, as opposed to creating something that a marketing study told them would sell. In this manner, when Badger creates a new product, they prefer to make sure the people closest to them love it first, then sell it to others.
• Badger does not use any synthetic chemicals, fragrances, parabens, GMOs, non-natural, or non-sustainable ingredients in any of their products.
• All products manufactured and produced by Badger are USDA Certified Organic. They also are marked with the NSF Organic Certification labels, which means that at least 70% of their ingredients are certified organic.
• Badger products are also Fair Trade Certified and Certified Gluten Free. The company is part of the Leaping Bunny Program, as well, which means that they do not test on animals, nor do they use any ingredients that have been tested on animals prior to their use.
• The Badger company is also certified via the Natural Products Association, meaning that more than 95% of their ingredients come from renewable resources, and even their packaging is environmentally sensitive.
• The Badger company has their Forest Stewardship Council certification (FSC), which means that any and all paper products they use come from responsibly managed forests that focus on maintaining environmental, social, and economic benefits during the entire production process.
• Badger offers a very wide variety of products that range in type from aromatherapy, baby products, moisturizers, repellents, face and hair care, lip balms, mens' grooming, body/muscle oils, sunscreens, sleep products, vegan products, and more.

Company Awards

• Each year from 2016 to 2018, Badger maintained their status as a B Corporation, and also received the B Corp's awards "Best for the World" and "Best for the Environment." They also received the Best for the Environment award in 2015 and Best for the World award in 2013 and 2014.
• Badger received the Beauty and Body Award in 2018 from Delicious Living because of their innovation behind natural beauty/body products.
• Badger was ranked as the top fifth company to work for in 2013, 2015, and 2016 by BusinessNH. They also were ranked as one of the top 50 companies for new dads to work for by Fatherly in 2016 because of their child care policies.
• In 2016, the Badger company also received the "When Work Works" (formerly the Sloan Award) by the Families and Work Institute (FWI) and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) because of their workplace and business strategies.
• In 2014, Badger received the NH and New England Exporter of the Year award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. This came in addition to the bLab Ripple Maker of the Year Award, the B Corp Champion Award for Policy, the Export Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Business Monadnock Trendsetters Award.
• In 2013, Badger received the Business of the Year award from the NH Division of Economic Development, the NEXTY Editor's Choice award for Natural Living, and the Monadnock Green Business of the Year award. They were also a finalist for the New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility Cornerstone Award.

Company Events

• The Badger company established and runs the Badger Ecology Center, through which they offer educational workshops to educate about and promote sustainable business practices.
• Through the Ecology Center, they also grow biodynamic vegetables and herbs, which are used to make employee lunches, as well as a flower garden for public use.
• On Saturday, August 10th from 8am-12pm, Badger is hosting a tent sale and open house. Consumers will receive 25-75% off Badger products, in addition to a free gift with all purchases.