# Balsam Brands

> Balsam Brands is a privately held, bootstrapped retail company best known for Balsam Hill, its direct-to-consumer line of realistic artificial Christmas trees and premium holiday décor. Founded in 2006 after Mac Harman could not find a convincing artificial tree for a relative with allergies, the business built its edge around lifelike foliage, easier assembly, a deep digital merchandising operation and the logistics required to handle an intense holiday sales peak. Its portfolio now includes Balsam Hill, destination-ornament retailer Balsam Hill Studio and, beginning in 2026, GE-branded holiday lighting and décor under a global license.

- **Founded:** 2006
- **Headquarters:** Redwood City, United States
- **Founders:** Thomas “Mac” Harman (Founder and CEO)
- **Team size:** 335 employees across five locations in 2025, according to the company's timeline.
- **Products:** Balsam Hill, True Needle technology, Flip Tree, Balsam Hill for Business, Balsam Hill Studio
- **Notable:** Generated roughly $3 million in sales during its first 2006 season., Earned the Good Housekeeping Seal for Balsam Hill trees, wreaths and garlands in 2008 and has retained it since, according to the company., Named by Forbes as one of America's Best Small Companies in 2016.

## Products & services

- **Balsam Hill** — Premium artificial Christmas trees, wreaths, garlands, ornaments, lighting, seasonal greenery, décor, gourmet gifts and related accessories sold primarily through direct ecommerce channels and selected retail partners.
- **True Needle technology** — Molded foliage engineered to reproduce the shape, color and texture of needles from real tree species.
- **Flip Tree** — A wheeled, pivoting artificial-tree format designed to reduce lifting and simplify setup and storage; Balsam Hill became its exclusive home in 2014.
- **Balsam Hill for Business** — Commercial décor packages and support for hospitality, offices, retail, events and iconic venues, including bespoke installations and installation coordination.
- **Balsam Hill Studio** — Physical retail concept for handcrafted souvenir ornaments inspired by travel destinations, launched on Maui and expanded to Honolulu.
- **GE holiday lighting and décor** — Licensed holiday lighting and décor collections developed by Balsam Brands as GE's official global licensee, with first launches announced for 2026.

## Achievements

- Generated roughly $3 million in sales during its first 2006 season.
- Earned the Good Housekeeping Seal for Balsam Hill trees, wreaths and garlands in 2008 and has retained it since, according to the company.
- Named by Forbes as one of America's Best Small Companies in 2016.
- Reached $115 million in reported 2016 revenue without institutional venture capital.
- Expanded Balsam Hill ecommerce operations to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Australia and Canada.
- Balsam International was recognized among the Best Workplaces in the Philippines and Asia.
- Passed 1 million followers across Balsam Hill's global social channels in 2025.
- Became the official global licensee for GE holiday lighting and décor in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2024-10** — Balsam Hill announced a multi-year Detroit Lions sponsorship, including a custom 30-foot tree at Ford Field.
- **2025-01** — Balsam Hill began expanding its reNEW commitment across True Needle foliage using 30% certified post-consumer recycled polyethylene or, on select products, material with 95% plant-based carbon content.
- **2025-01** — The company started a Dublin pilot exploring artificial-tree recycling and future refurbishment options.
- **2025-07** — Balsam Brands announced it had become GE's official global licensee for holiday lighting and décor, with collections due in 2026.
- **2025-07** — Balsam Hill Studio expanded from Maui to a second store at Honolulu's Ala Moana Center.
- **2025-07** — Balsam Hill surpassed 1 million followers across its global social channels.

## Links

- Website: https://balsambrands.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/balsam-brands
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/whyilovebb
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@balsamhillofficial
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balsam_brands/

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Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-10