Celestial Seasonings
Encyclopedia
Celestial Seasonings is a tea company based in Boulder
, Colorado
, United States
that specializes in herbal tea but also sells green
, wellness, red, white, chai, holiday and black teas. They account for over $100,000,000 in herbal tea blends sales in the United States annually. All of their teas are certified kosher and all-natural, and many are certified organic as well. The Boulder factory
conducts free guided tours daily and has a sampling bar for visitors to try any tea for free, as well.
In the 1970s the company grew rapidly, creating popular herbal tea blends (such as Sleepytime and Red Zinger) and moving to larger headquarters twice; they were selling internationally by 1977. Celestial Seasonings created and sponsored the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic
race in Colorado during the 1970s.
Celestial Seasonings was purchased by Kraft Foods
in 1984 which expanded the marketing of the brand both nationally and internationally. Mo Siegel retired in 1986, and the next year, Kraft announced they would sell Celestial Seasonings to Lipton
. The sale was successfully challenged by Bigelow
under anti-trust laws, and local management purchased the company back from Kraft in 1988.
In 1990 Celestial Seasonings moved into new headquarters in a custom-designed facility in North Boulder. Mo Siegel returned in 1991 to serve as CEO. The company continued to grow and introduce new products through the 1990s.
Celestial Seasonings merged with natural food company The Hain Food Group in 2000 to form the Hain Celestial Group
. Mo Siegel retired for the second time in 2002.
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that specializes in herbal tea but also sells green
Green tea
Green tea is made solely from the leaves of Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. It has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally...
, wellness, red, white, chai, holiday and black teas. They account for over $100,000,000 in herbal tea blends sales in the United States annually. All of their teas are certified kosher and all-natural, and many are certified organic as well. The Boulder factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
conducts free guided tours daily and has a sampling bar for visitors to try any tea for free, as well.
History
Celestial Seasonings founders Mo Siegel, John Hay, Peggy Clute and others started gathering herbs and flowers in the mountains around Boulder and selling them to local health-food stores in 1969. The company name was derived from co-founder Lucinda Ziesings' nickname.In the 1970s the company grew rapidly, creating popular herbal tea blends (such as Sleepytime and Red Zinger) and moving to larger headquarters twice; they were selling internationally by 1977. Celestial Seasonings created and sponsored the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic
Red Zinger Bicycle Classic
The Red Zinger Bicycle Classic was a road bicycle racing stage race.-History:In 1975, Mo Siegel and John and Wyck Hay, founders of the Celestial Seasonings herbal tea company, launched the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic race to promote alternative transportation in the Greater Boulder area,...
race in Colorado during the 1970s.
Celestial Seasonings was purchased by Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
in 1984 which expanded the marketing of the brand both nationally and internationally. Mo Siegel retired in 1986, and the next year, Kraft announced they would sell Celestial Seasonings to Lipton
Lipton
Lipton is a brand of tea currently owned by Unilever.-History of Lipton Tea:Lipton was created at the end of the 19th century by a grocer, Sir Thomas Lipton, in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1893, he established the Thomas J. Lipton Co., a tea packing company with its headquarters and factory in Hobo ken,...
. The sale was successfully challenged by Bigelow
Bigelow Tea Company
R.C. Bigelow, Inc, better known as the Bigelow Tea Company, is an American tea company based in Fairfield, Connecticut. The company was founded by Ruth C. Bigelow in the late 1940s, based on a recipe she marketed as "Constant Comment" tea...
under anti-trust laws, and local management purchased the company back from Kraft in 1988.
In 1990 Celestial Seasonings moved into new headquarters in a custom-designed facility in North Boulder. Mo Siegel returned in 1991 to serve as CEO. The company continued to grow and introduce new products through the 1990s.
Celestial Seasonings merged with natural food company The Hain Food Group in 2000 to form the Hain Celestial Group
Hain Celestial Group
The Hain Celestial Group is a food company whose main focus is natural and organic foods and personal care products. Their products range from herbal teas, offered through their Celestial Seasonings brand to organic free range chickens from the FreeBird brand...
. Mo Siegel retired for the second time in 2002.