Two B.C. companies among North America’s fastest-growing, woman-owned businesses

By Business in Vancouver

A pair of B.C. businesses has been recognized as two of the fastest-growing, women-owned or led companies in North America by a U.S.-based organization that connects and empowers women business leaders.

DeeBee’s Organics Inc. in Victoria and Richmond’s Herbaland Naturals Inc. are among the 50 companies that received the recognition from the Women Presidents Organization (WPO). They’re the only non-U.S. companies on the list this year.

“There’s so much that we fight against to break glass ceilings in order to achieve where we are,” said Dionne Laslo-Baker, founder and CEO of DeeBee’s Organics.

“So it’s such an honour to be recognized and to be amongst other women who have been able to break through these challenges to come on to the other side.”

Healthy snacks popular among consumers

When many businesses were struggling during the pandemic or still feeling post-pandemic impacts, the two West Coast companies saw their revenue grow exponentially.

Laslo-Baker founded DeeBee’s Organics 10 years ago when she tried to create snacks for her children made of what she described as “pure, organic and clean ingredients.” The company reported a nearly 700 per cent growth in revenue over the past five years.

In 2017, DeeBee’s Organics launched its Superfruit Freezie products – freezie pops that are made of pure fruit juice with zero added sugar or artificial ingredients.

The products, which are also organic, non-GMO certified, vegan, gluten-free and top-nine allergen free, soon became a fast-growing snack among consumers in North America.

“We created a whole grocery category – the freeze-at-home category in the natural organic space. We drive that growth in that category and own close to 80 per cent of that category share in the marketplace,” said Laslo-Baker.

Read more