Schmidt's Deodorant Company, LLC (dba Schmidt's Naturals) is an American
personal care
Personal care or toiletries are consumer products used in personal hygiene, personal grooming or for beautification.
Products
Personal care includes products as diverse as cleansing pads, colognes, cotton swabs, cotton pads, deodorant, eye l ...
company based in Portland, Oregon. A subsidiary of
Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy ...
, Schmidt's Naturals manufactures and sells plant and mineral-based personal care products including natural deodorant, soap, and toothpaste.
History
In 2011 Jaime Schmidt, a mother and social worker in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populou ...
, began making personal care products in her kitchen.
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.
[ By 2014, Schmidt had refined her all-natural product line down to five deodorant scents, all sold in small glass jars with an applicator.]
Investment
In late 2014, Schmidt accepted investor Michael Cammarata
Michael Cammarata (born December 26, 1985) is an American entrepreneur, investor, and wellness industry executive. He is president and chief executive officer of Neptune Wellness Solutions, a Canadian/American wellness company and the co-founde ...
's offer to invest in her company in exchange for equity. In January 2015, the new partners, Cammarata and Schmidt officially formed Schmidt's Deodorant Company, LLC.
Growth
Over the next two years, Schmidt and Cammarata grew the new company rapidly from 4 employees to over 160: moving from a 1,200-square-foot space to a facility and then into one almost three times that size. 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.
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
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
.''["2016 Manufacturer of the Year Schmidt's Deodorant Company LLC"](_blank)
''bizjournals.com'',. By late 2016, Schmidt's had grown to almost 50 employees and offered 10 stick deodorants and 6 jar formulations. As the naturals segment continued to grow, Schmidt's Deodorant Company attracted the attention of large retailers.
Rebrand
In June 2017, Schmidt and Cammarata were named Pacific NorthWest Entrepreneurs of the Year by EY (formerly Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young Global Limited, trade name EY, is a multinational corporation, multinational professional services partnership headquartered in London, England. EY is one of the largest professional services networks in the world. Along with Delo ...
). In September, they introduced a line of plant and mineral-based soaps, rebranding the company as Schmidt's Naturals; in November, they released toothpastes. 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.
Unilever acquisition
In December 2017, after months of negotiation by Schmidt and Cammarata, Unilever
Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy ...
, acquired Schmidt's Naturals for an undisclosed sum. After the acquisition, Cammarata became CEO of Schmidt's Naturals and Schmidt continued on as brand spokesperson. Following the Unilever acquisition, the company broadened its product line with the introduction of body wash, mouthwash, and home care products. Between January and August 2018, with Cammarata at the helm, Schmidt's Naturals grew by 300% in sales.
In August 2018, Schmidt's Naturals partnered with Cammarata's family friend, Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. Seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best kn ...
to develop the special edition deodorant scent “Lily of the Valley” with 5% of the proceeds going to the Jane Goodall Institute
The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is a global wildlife and environment conservation organization headquartered in Washington, DC. It was founded in 1977 by English primatologist Jane Goodall.
The institute has offices in more than twenty-five coun ...
. In May 2019, Schmidt's announced a collaboration with pop star Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
to create a new deodorant called “Here + Now,” which was designed for sensitive skin. The company also started using an AI platform, Alexander, to handle its customer services and to collect data. In July 2019, Schmidt's Naturals began selling deodorant products with hemp seed oil
Hemp oil (hemp seed oil) is oil obtained by pressing hemp seeds. Cold pressed, unrefined hemp oil is dark to clear light green in color, with a nutty flavor. The darker the color, the grassier the flavour. It should not be confused with hash o ...
, including Rose + Black Pepper and Sage + Vetiver. In July 2019, Michael Cammarata left the company and Unilever executive Ryu Yokoi transitioned to CEO.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt's Naturals
American subsidiaries of foreign companies
Companies based in Portland, Oregon
American companies established in 2015
Personal care companies
Health care companies established in 2015