Balsam Hill was founded by Thomas Harman after discovering his brother-in-law was allergic to the mold spores found in natural Christmas trees. Harman could not find an artificial Christmas tree that looked real enough, so he set out to develop a line of artificial trees that were highly realistic and luxurious. In October 2006, Balsam Hill opened for business online, offering three collections: the Balsam Hill collection, Vermont Signature collection, and Napa Christmas Signature collection. A year later, the Good HousekeepingResearch Institute named Balsam Hill’s 7.5-foot Balsam Fir the ‘best overall’ artificial Christmas tree. In 2012, Balsam Brands, which owns Balsam Hill, earned revenues of $34.7 million, turning the company into one of Silicon Valley’s fastest growing online retailers. Balsam Hill ventured offline by opening a showroom in Burlingame, California in August 2013. Balsam Hill has expanded its offerings to include, fall, Halloween, and other home décor items for sale.
Technology
Harman, a graduate of the Stanford Business School, spent five years developing the technology for creating realistic artificial Christmas trees. He began by making patterns cast from real Norway spruce branches, molding the tree from multiple plastics, and painting each branch by hand. Balsam Hill’s designers continue to use real-tree cast molds and multiple-color shading in order to match the texture and coloration of actual branches. In 2007, the BH Balsam Fir, which uses Balsam Hill’s exclusive True Needle technology, earned high marks from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute for its true green color and natural downswept branches. The Institute also noted the tree’s technological features, which include an electrical connection for tree toppers and a foot pedalon-off switch for the lights.
In November 2012, Balsam Hill collaborated with ScentSicles, which sells fragrant ornaments, for the first global Christmas tree decorating event to use digital technology. Participants used a robotic arm to decorate a virtual rotating Christmas tree streamed live on the Communitree website. Each ornament affixed digitally on the tree sent a $5 donation to the Philadelphia branch of Toys for Tots Foundation. In 2014 Balsam Hill partnered with Operation Smile for the #CelebritiesforSmiles campaign. Balsam Hill donated ornaments from their new home décor collection, which were in turn autographed by participating celebrities including Harrison Ford, Gavin Rossdale, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, Mark Wahlberg, Pharrell Williams, and many more. The ornaments were then auctioned off to benefit Operation Smile.
Awards & Accolades
2015
Ranked 1703rd in Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies
