Burt’s Bees is most often associated with a single man, but the answer to who is the founder of Burt’s Bees is a little more precise than that. You can trace the company back to Burt Shavitz and Roxanne Quimby, who built the brand together in Maine and turned a small beeswax side business into a national name. If you want the direct answer, Burt Shavitz and Roxanne Quimby are the co-founders, with Shavitz serving as the namesake and Quimby driving much of the early product and growth work.
The story of burt’s bees is not just a branding tale, it is a Maine origin story built around beeswax, homemade candles, and practical personal care products. If you have ever used burt’s bees lip balm, you are seeing the long tail of that early partnership between a beekeeper and an entrepreneur.
The Direct Answer
Burt Shavitz and Roxanne Quimby are both founders of Burt’s Bees. Burt Shavitz gave the brand its name and public identity, while Roxanne Quimby helped shape the business, products, and early direction. That split matters because the company’s origin is a partnership, not a one-person startup story.
Why Burt Shavitz And Roxanne Quimby Are Both Founders
The company began in Maine in the 1980s, when Quimby started making candles from Shavitz’s leftover beeswax, according to the company history on Wikipedia. Shavitz brought the beekeeping, the raw material, and the recognizable persona, while Quimby turned the idea into a growing business.
Who Became The Public Face Of The Brand
Burt Shavitz became the face most people remember because his name sat on the label and his bearded, rural image fit the brand’s natural identity. In modern terms, he functioned like a brand ambassador long before that phrase became common, while Roxanne Quimby stayed more tied to operations, product development, and expansion.
How The Company Began In Maine
You can trace the first chapter to simple materials and a very small market. Beekeeping, honey, and beeswax came first, then candles, then the product line that made the name familiar in American homes.
From Beekeeping And Honey To Beeswax Candles
The early business started with beeswax left over from honey production and turned into hand-made candles. That mix of honey and beeswax gave the brand an authentic, rural feel that stayed central even after the product line grew into candles, lip balm, and other natural personal care products.
How Craft Fairs Turned A Small Idea Into A Business
The first sales were modest and local, with early exposure at craft fairs helping prove there was demand. According to the company history on Wikipedia, the business grew from a small craft fair start into a real operation fast, because the products were practical, affordable, and easy to explain face to face.
Why Beeswax Lip Balm Became The Breakout Product
Lip balm became the breakout because it was cheap to make, easy to carry, and matched the company’s handmade image. Once burt’s bees lip balm caught on, it gave the business a repeat-purchase product that fit naturally alongside candles and other personal care products.
What Each Co-Founder Contributed
The cleanest way to think about the partnership is this: one founder supplied the story and raw material, the other supplied the structure and commercial push. That division shaped how burt’s bees grew from a local venture into a broader natural personal care brand.
Burt Shavitz As The Beekeeper And Brand Image
Shavitz was the beekeeper, the namesake, and the visual shorthand for the company’s back-to-the-land identity. His role gave the brand credibility, especially for shoppers who wanted something that felt handmade and close to nature.
Roxanne Quimby As The Product Builder And Growth Driver
Quimby played a major role in turning beeswax into a wider line of natural personal care and personal care products. She helped push the business beyond candles and honey into the products that made it commercially durable, especially lip balm and related items.
Why The Founder Story Gets Oversimplified
The story gets oversimplified because labels and marketing often favor the most memorable face. In reality, Burt Shavitz and Roxanne Quimby each contributed something essential, and reducing the brand to one founder misses how the company actually scaled.
Ownership Changes And Lasting Legacy
The brand’s later years moved from scrappy ownership to corporate scale. Along the way, Quimby’s conservation work and the company’s public history kept the origin story alive even after the business changed hands.
AEA Investors And The Path To Scale
Private equity firm AEA Investors bought a large stake in the company in 2004, which pushed Burt’s Bees toward wider expansion. That step marked the transition from founder-led growth to a more formal business structure.
The Clorox Acquisition And Who Owns Burt’s Bees Now
Clorox completed the clorox acquisition in 2007, and Burt’s Bees became part of a larger consumer products company. If you are asking who owns Burt’s Bees now, the answer is Clorox, while the original founders remain part of the brand’s history rather than its current control.
Burt’s Buzz And Roxanne Quimby’s Conservation Legacy
The documentary Burt’s Buzz, directed by Jody Shapiro, brought renewed attention to the complicated relationship between the founders. Quimby’s later conservation efforts, including the land that became Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, show that her legacy extends far beyond the company, into land protection and public access, even as the area now sits under the National Park Service. Burt Shavitz, with his unmistakable image and even his affection for golden retrievers, remains the symbol most people recognize first.
