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Icebox Knitting

Icebox Knitting is an outdoor lifestyle manufacturing company based out of Longmont. Icebox emerged from its parent company, Alpine knitting in 1993. Initially located on Seventh and Walnut street in Boulder, Icebox has been around for over two decades.

Icebox Knitting has two core brand lines, Dohm and Xob. Dohm is a traditional yet vibrant textile brand, made from yarn imported from Italy. Xob’s line is sustainably created from upcycled materials. Initially, to create Xob’s products, the Icebox team repurposed old wool sweaters from thrift shops. As the company grew, however, they needed more material than just what they could find in small local stores. Now the Xob brand sources its thrift material from Texas, where Icebox’s partner factory separates the old items by color and content. Once the upcycled material is shipped to Colorado, its spun into the sustainable products they currently sell.

Scott Baker, the CEO of Icebox has worked with the SBDC in order to enhance his business. According to Scott, “I came onboard with the company ten years ago, and as soon as I did we secured an SBA loan. With the SBDC, we did monthly seminars and got advice on what we should and should not be doing. We’ve had a real nice relationship with the SBDC for the past three years and got some really helpful advice.”

Scott continued, “The SBDC has generated the best results we’ve had in doing this outreach for business counseling. Compared to the various organizations who have given us counseling the SBDC has really stood out in regard to its resources and consulting.”

Scott and his team have been utilizing the Boulder SBDC’s resources since 2012, but with more frequency in the past two years. Although Icebox certainly is not a new business, times and the market are ever changing. Recently, the SBDC has worked to see what direction Scott wants to take his business. According to Scott, “We’ve been talking about our new marketing strategy and how we can deliver our end product directly to the consumer. It has been difficult to service the retail buyer with all the new competition in the textile industry. Being a small brand, it is hard to get marketing dollars to generate a big presence, especially with the increasing number of firms.

Despite the tough competition, we at the Boulder SBDC think that Icebox has great potential for growth, particularly in regards to the development of their e-commerce platform. Scott is in concurrence and explained, “We’re looking at an e-commerce platform, and how we can deliver our product directly to the end consumer at the best rate. Our current model is wholesale, so evolving from business to business to business to consumer, and brining individual orders to customers could be a great way to generate revenue.

Like all small businesses, the development of industry and changes in demand will lead to unexpected challenges. It is important to adapt to the ever-changing times, and to keep a pliable mind when looking at your businesses future. Scott and Icebox Knitting are doing just that, and we at the Boulder SBDC are excited to see what direction they take. We are happy and proud to support a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable small business, and wish Scott and his team the absolute best.

MFB Fertility Inc. (Proov)

After three years of infertility and miscarriages, Dr. Amy Beckley used her own science expertise to uncover her own luteal phase defect – a problem with ovulation quality. With help from her doctor and a simple supplement, Amy was able to get pregnant with her daughter. After her experience, Amy started Proov, a series of at home fertility tests, supplements, and guides. She wanted to create a better way to conceive that was faster and

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Plains To Peaks Chocolate

Plains to Peak Chocolate Company is run by Sunni Sylvester and her husband Jeff. The two did not always have aspirations to make their own chocolate, but like many businesses today, a simple passion and idea can be all it takes to start something great. The direction of your business career can be random, and that is exactly what happened with Sunni and Jeff. “We started randomly. I would buy chocolate, look at the ingredients,

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Happy Trunk

Who doesn’t like getting fun mail? The Happy Trunk is an ecommerce, subscription based company that delivers monthly “Smiles In A Box for Kids”. Vinnie Bhushan, owner, architect, and interior designer by trade, got her first inspiration for The Happy Trunk from her children. When they were in elementary school, she decided to volunteer as an Odyssey of the Mind Coach. “As an Odyssey of the Mind Coach at Flagstaff Academy in Longmont, CO, I

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AOW Handmade

Annie Oakley Waterman is an entrepreneur and owner of AOW Handmade. AOW Handmade, founded in 2015, is a unique business that connects artisan enterprisers from all over the developing world to buyers in the United States. Whether it is textiles, silver, brass, paper maché or other materials, Annie seeks out socially responsible producers and helps them to sell their products to the western world. Annie’s favorite places to find her goods are in Mexico and

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