3rd September, 2007: Bigelow Celebrates Labor Day with our Annual Retiree Luncheon
Just had 30 retirees come back for our annual retiree luncheon, and it was really lovely. To be able to reconnect to our employees that have dedicated years to building this business, who are the foundation of this company, well…it means a lot to my entire family.
Every summer, we send out invites to those who have retired from Bigelow Tea. We are never sure how many will respond positively to the luncheon and each year we are pleasantly surprised with the high turnout. This year was no exception, I actually think it was our biggest turnout ever. Our luncheon included individuals who worked during the 60 and 70’s and retired almost 20 years ago to those who have retired in the last few months.
What never ceases to amaze me is the comradery between them, even after all these years. The chatter, the laughs, the stories about their years here-it is a very special afternoon. I have to say, it is after an event like the one we had today, it clearly reminds me the value of a family company.
Cindi Bigelow, co-President
Posted by Cindi at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
27th August, 2007: Bigelow Iced Tea Contest Winners
And the winner is…1st Prize in the Bigelow Iced Tea Recipe Contest goes to Tyna of Lincoln, CA for her ingenious blend of Bigelow Constant Comment and Plantation Mint teas. Tyna will receive an Olympia Iced Beverage Pitcher and 8 goblets. 2nd prize goes to Stephanie of Elmira Heights, NY. Stephanie created an iced tea with a delicious combination of Bigelow Sweet Dreams, I Love Lemon & C and Berri-Good Herbal teas. Stephanie will receive a Wooden Chest with Flavored and Herbal teas. And 3rd prize goes to Dorinda of Covington, GA. Dorinda’s prize winning iced tea recipe pairs Bigelow Perfect Peach Herbal Tea with Spiced Chai Tea. These contestants got it right! Thank you to everyone who sent us their special recipes, we had fun testing them out!!
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
24th August, 2007: Bigelow Tea Community Challenge
The Bigelow Tea Community Challenge is coming up-it will be our 20th year of hosting this fabulous event. We have already raised more money than ever before, almost 50K!!!! It promises to be our most successful….some fun things for this year’s race…Cannondale donated a great bike for us to raffle off, Warren Travel of Westport came back and gave us two round trip tickets on American to fly anywhere in US to also be raffled and Mercedes Benz is giving us a car to loan out for a week! Should be a super fun family day….we expect over 1200 participants.
September 30, 2007 starting at 9 am at Wakeman’s Boys and Girls Club in Southport, CT, we will have a kid’s fun run, a 2 mile non competitive walk and a 5k run! And what is even more special is the fact that besides being a great event for the community with tons of goodies, all the money goes to such wonderful charities. I visited one of them yesterday, the Grasmere Home for the elderly. It is a place that you can bring your elder parent (or relative) from Monday to Friday and they enjoy great activities and get involved in various projects. The center is for those that need help and a little more attention than those that can go to our local senior center (another wonderful place the race supports!). While I was there, they were working on the photographs they had taken while doing a photography outing to the shore in our town. It was so heart warming to see how the seniors were enjoying the fruits of their labor. As usual, it brought tears to my eyes to see them in that environment. So I am truly looking forward to our upcoming Challenge, I promise to share with you all kinds of pictures and some fun stories about the day!!!
Cindi Bigelow
Posted by Cindi at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
20th August, 2007: Bigelow Tea Voted Best Company for Afternoon Tea
Bigelow Tea has been voted Best of the Gold Coast Connecticut 2007. Editors, who publish three area magazines for Connecticut’s Gold Coast, a group of affluent towns around Stamford, chose Bigelow Tea as the best company for afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is typically accompanied by a light meal or snack. So from now on, when you reach for your favorite afternoon snack, make sure to pair it with one of Bigelow Tea’s many tea varieties. After all, it’s the best!
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comments (3)
6th August, 2007: Bigelow Tea Plantation Featured on TODAY Show’s Website
Bigelow Tea’s Charleston Tea Plantation was featured by Peter Greenberg, TODAY Travel Detective. The Plantation was noted among other important landmarks in Charleston. In his piece of July 25, 2007, Touring the history, old charm of Charleston, Greenberg remarks that the 127-acre plantation, containing hundreds of thousands of tea bushes, is the only if its kind operational in the country. Tours are available Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday noon-4 p.m. For more information go to the Charleston Tea Plantation category here or on our website, www.bigelowtea.com.
Make Charleston a destination this summer and learn more about tea and its history.
Posted by Julie at 6:00 am | Comment (1)
25th July, 2007: Upcoming Tour to the Charleston Tea Plantation
The Tea House Times will be hosting a four-day tea tour, July 29 - August 3, featuring stops at the only black tea plantation in the U.S., The Charleston Tea Plantation, and other points of historic interest in Charleston and Summerville, South Carolina.
On day one, tea enthusiasts will gain a better understanding of the beginnings of the tea industry in America with a full morning’s visit to the Charleston Tea Plantation.
At the plantation which is owned by Bigelow Tea, visitors will explore the grounds, tour the factory and browse the gift shop. Rounding out the day, guests will enjoy southern cooking at its best during a formal dinner at the Woodlands Inn.
Tour highlights also include stops at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, explorations of historic Charleston and Summerville, free time in Old City Market and an afternoon tea at the Wickliffe House.
For more tour information or to sign-up, visit the Tea House Times Web site.
Posted by Brenda at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
23rd July, 2007: Bigelow Tea joins Facebook
Yes, it is true, Bigelow Tea has joined Facebook, a social network that unites people with friends, and others who work, study and live around them. We believe that an online conversation is very valuable to our consumers. We have experienced this with our blog where we have provided facts about tea, tea history, fun tea celebrity moments and more so we are extending our efforts to Facebook where we can interface with others who are passionate about tea in addition to answering questions for those who are new to the joy of drinking tea.
Join us and become our friend on Facebook, enjoy our videos and more fun tea facts as we reach out to the tea drinkers around the world!
Posted by Valorie at 7:37 am | Comment (0)
26th June, 2007: Bigelow Summer Picnics
Each year the company holds a picnic for all of the employees. In Louisville they had their picnic in June, in Boise they are scheduling their picnic for August and in Fairfield ours is scheduled for September.
This is a great time to see everyone from Bigelow and in a relaxing setting. People take the time to get to know one another and share some of those stories that do not come out in a work setting. Since we have people working on night shifts, day shifts, and weekends, we really do not get many opportunities to gather everyone together at one time.
Besides having good food (sometimes it is catered, or pot luck, or cooked by management), we also have time for a little competition in sports. We have the mighty hula-hoop, water balloon toss, bingo, horse-shoes, tennis and then that ever popular volleyball game.
It is nice to be able to take time out of a busy schedule to enjoy each other’s company. When we are back at work and trying to resolve issues, it makes a difference that you know a bit more about your co-workers!
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
6th June, 2007: June is Iced Tea Month and Bigelow Tea is Celebrating
Go to www.BigelowTea.com and enter our Iced Tea Recipe Contest using 2 different Bigelow Teas. Fun prizes to be won for the best original and unpublished recipes.
Enjoy Iced Tea Month!!
Posted by Valorie at 10:43 am | Comment (0)
5th June, 2007: Investing for the future!
Each year, Bigelow Tea reinvests money into the company to make it run more efficiently and to maintain/improve the operation. Different divisions evaluate what (and how) they are doing and submit proposals for capital projects they feel are appropriate for the upcoming year. Since our fiscal year runs July to June we are in the middle of reviewing what capital projects will be approved.
For our new year, the company is reinvesting around $2 million into improvements for the operation. This is impressive when compared to some companies that are just focusing on making more money today vs. making sure the company and products will be here for the future.
Dean
Posted by Dean at 6:00 am | Comment (0)
