Burt Shavitz Explained

Burt Shavitz
Birth Name:Ingram Berg Shavitz
Birth Date:15 May 1935
Birth Place:New York City, U.S.
Death Place:Bangor, Maine, U.S.
Occupation:Beekeeper, businessman, photographer
Known For:Burt's Bees

Ingram Berg Shavitz[1] (May 15, 1935 – July 5, 2015) professionally known as Burt Shavitz, was an American beekeeper and businessman notable for founding the Burt's Bees personal care products company with businesswoman Roxanne Quimby.[2] Shavitz's likeness is featured on the Burt's Bees products.

Early life

Burt Shavitz was born Ingram Shavitz to a Jewish family[3] in Manhattan.[4] [5] He was raised in Great Neck, New York,[6] and changed his name in 1953 when he finished high school.[7] He spent time in the Army, and later while living in Manhattan he took photographs, including those of African American Muslim rallies and Bowery drug-dealers,[8] that appeared in Time and Life magazines.[9]

Business career

Shavitz started as a hobby apiarist in New Paltz, NY, eventually settled in Maine, where he discovered beekeeping as a source of income and met Roxanne Quimby, who would sell his wax candles at local fairs. An increase in sales and production led to them launching Burt's Bees in the 1980s.[10] As the partnership and business grew, operations were set up in North Carolina in 1994. Soon thereafter, the partnership between Shavitz and Quimby waned, leading to Quimby buying out Shavitz's stake in the company.[10] [11] In 2007, Clorox purchased Burt's Bees for more than $900 million.[12] Shavitz was a self-described hippie, an avid outdoorsman who had little regard for material wealth but placed value on land, free open spaces for wildlife.

Documentary

A documentary film, Burt's Buzz, was released in 2014. The film discussed the life of Shavitz, his history with Burt's Bees, and his later activities as a beekeeper and businessman.[13] [14]

Death

Shavitz died on July 5, 2015, at the age of 80 in Bangor, Maine, from respiratory problems.[15] [16] He resided in Parkman, Maine.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Burt's Bees Documentary - Business Insider. August 29, 2014. Business Insider.
  2. Web site: How I Did It: Roxanne Quimby. Inc.com.
  3. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.664638 Haraatz: "Burt Shavitz, the Reclusive Jewish Beekeeper Who Co-founded Burt's Bees, Dies at 80"
  4. Web site: Burt Shavitz of Burt's Bees shares his photographic past. Collage. December 2014 . July 6, 2015.
  5. Book: Queen Bee. google.ca. 9780884484202. July 6, 2015. Austin. Phyllis. June 15, 2015. Tilbury House Publishers and Cadent .
  6. News: Burt's Bees Co-Founder Burt Shavitz On the Doc 'Burt's Buzz,' and Losing Millions. The Daily Beast. September 11, 2013 . Stern . Marlow .
  7. Web site: 10 things you didn't know about the man behind Burt's Bees. Chatelaine. June 24, 2014 . January 6, 2015.
  8. News: Obituary: Burt Shavitz: Buzz, buzz. 24 July 2015. The Economist.
  9. Burt Shavitz, of Burt's Bees - The New Yorker. Tad Friend. July 28, 2014. The New Yorker. July 6, 2015.
  10. Web site: Co-founder of Burt's Bees says he was ousted. The Big Story. https://web.archive.org/web/20160401015626/https://bigstory.ap.org/article/co-founder-burts-bees-says-he-was-ousted . 2016-04-01 . 2022-07-04.
  11. News: Associated Press. Burt Shavitz, the Burt Behind Burt's Bees, Dies at 80. The New York Times. July 5, 2015. July 6, 2015.
  12. Web site: Clorox to Acquire Burt's Bees; Expands Into Fast-Growing Natural Personal Care. thecloroxcompany.com. November 21, 2014. https://archive.today/20140705071041/http://investors.thecloroxcompany.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=272197. July 5, 2014. dead. mdy-all.
  13. News: Steven Kurutz. Burt Shavitz, the World's Most Famous Retired Beekeeper. The New York Times. July 16, 2014. July 5, 2015.
  14. Web site: Burt's Buzz - a documentary. burtsbuzzdoc.com.
  15. Web site: Burt Shavitz, the Burt behind Burt's Bees, dies at 80. https://web.archive.org/web/20150706102502/http://news.yahoo.com/burt-shavitz-burt-behind-burts-bees-dies-80-013128860.html. dead. July 6, 2015. David Sharp, Associated Press. July 6, 2015. Yahoo! News. July 6, 2015.
  16. Web site: Burt Shavitz, co-founder of Burt's Bees, passes away. WRAL. WRAL.com. July 5, 2015 .

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