About Sensibility Soaps
Sensibility Soaps, Inc. was founded in December 1996 in York, PA. Interest in—indeed passion for--- creating healthier personal care products combined with seeing a growing market need for more, high quality, natural products, targeted for mainstream consumers, inspired us to establish the company. Our vision, as we analyzed the market, was supported by indicators that the market was poised for significant growth and thus the direction of the company was established.
We have been inspired by the belief that health is critical to well being and that personal care products need to facilitate skin health and not compromise our health nor the health of our environment through the use of chemicals. Product performance is important but we do not believe that chemicals are the panacea to performance especially when balanced against the risk they pose. For centuries, herbs, oils, flowers, fruits, vegetables, and grains have been used for personal care; we are guided by that wisdom in addition to being challenged to use botanicals in ways that make products perform as well as enhance skin health.
Beginning with the manufacture of natural, cold-processed bar soaps, our company’s capabilities quickly expanded to other personal care products. Sensibility Soaps, Inc. manufactures primarily natural and organic bath, body, hair, and skin care products. Our company predominately develops and manufactures products for private labeling and contract manufacturing, however, markets and sells our own brands as well. Markets served include: prestige retail, spa, natural and conventional grocery stores, mass, salons, hospitality. From it’s beginning to the present, the company has sold products not only nationally but internationally.
Our company was the first personal care company to be awarded organic certification through the USDA’s National Organic Program in July 2003, affirming the company’s commitment and direction. The company introduced the first certified organic personal care brand in 2004. The company, in 2007, successfully completed its 5th USDA inspection. The company is leading and “paving the way” for organic personal care certified by the USDA. The company is also a registered FDA facility.
Offering services and meeting customer needs begins with offering consultations regarding product concepts to custom product development. The relationship evolves to packaging design and offering manufacturing capabilities for a wide variety of products. For some customers, services also include wholesale and retail order fulfillment, warehousing and distributing products directly to their customers. The company offers the customer a “value-added partner as well as one stop shop” for private label and contract manufacturing. We realized that private label customers want to focus upon marketing and sales so our company fulfills the role of a partner who offers expertise, support and service --as well as manufacturing--to best enable the focus of the customer to be on marketing and sales, optimizing their chances for success in the marketplace. The positioning of the company to exploit the growing market for organic products differentiates Sensibility Soaps, Inc. from other manufacturers/competitors. The company has enjoyed significant growth from our humble beginnings in our kitchen. While many companies were only considering incorporating natural and organic ingredients into their products, Sensibility Soaps, Inc. made the investment necessary over the years creating premium, unique formulations, many of which are in subsequent generations of evolution. There are few to no comparable products in quality of certified organic products with the diversity of formulations currently in the marketplace.
The company expanded out of a business incubation center space and relocated in 2000 to Beaver Falls, PA, to our own factory. Additional space was added to the building in 2004. In 2005, the company relocated distribution to another facility. As of November 2008, the company will be expanding production capacity into approximately 50,000 square feet, which is scalable.
“Walking the walk” in regard to stewardship of the environment further positions and differentiates the company. Low energy use is significant since our factory and warehouse is underground; no heat or air conditioning is necessary with constant ambient temperature at 60-65 degrees. We reuse packaging materials when possible, local suppliers, and use recycled and recyclable packaging.
Another guiding principal of our company is stewardship to others less fortunate and to our community. We utilize the local sheltered workshops whenever possible for packaging and assembly. We also hire challenged or recovering individuals when possible.
Our company has enjoyed regional and national attention as well as accolades. The company was selected two consecutive years as a finalist as Manufacturer of the Year in the Pittsburgh region. In 2006, Sensibility Soaps, Inc. was awarded the Ben Franklin award for entrepreneurial achievement. Also in 2006, Lynn was selected as Business Owner of the Month for National City Banks. Lynn also speaks nationally about organic personal care; in 2007, she spoke at All Things Organic in Chicago. Positive media exposure has occurred locally and nationally--for example, the New York Times profiled the company in 2006. Products have been spotlighted in Self Magazine, Shop Smart (Consumers Report), Wall Street Journal, Vegetarian Times, and other publications.
We are pleased you found us, learned a bit about us, and hope to hear from you. We, and our experienced team of folks at Sensibility Soaps, Inc., who “make it all happen” wish you all the best.
Our products begin with the customer; our efforts are rewarded when customers are pleased with our product quality and service.
Warm regards, Thom & Lynn Cook Betz, Founders
