KBC Products

by Betty Loosemore, KBC Products


KBC Products offers a unique selection of infant, children, wedding accessories and gifts. Each quality heirloom gift is accompanied by sentimental poetry. We enjoyed the story of how they got started and thought you would too!

We began in January 1991 as Keepsake Bonnet Company. I had been sewing baby bonnets from handkerchiefs for family, friends and a few select local proprietors for 18 years. The bonnets are worn home from the hospital, then on baby's christening day. Later they are taken apart and carried by the bride as her wedding handkerchief. If by chance the baby is a boy he gives the handkerchief to his bride to carry.

At that time the poem was handwritten and no packaging was available. I did not write the poem that accompanies the bonnet. However, it gave me the desire to write poetry to accompany all of our products.

Never seeing beyond the bonnets, I named the business Keepsake Bonnet Company. Seated at our kitchen table I busily made a dozen or so bonnets each day. I then packaged, packed and shipped them. All book work was done manually. My first customers were those I contacted through a local boutique magazine. I then covered as much territory as I could while keeping one foot on the doorstep so that I could still be a wife and mother.

For continued growth it became necessary to contact retail stores by telephone. I remember thinking, "They bought them and they don't even know what they look like." Many of those wonderful people who trusted me from hundreds of miles away are still our customers today.

It was not long before I asked my sister-in-law, Connie, if she would like to help make bonnets. Soon after it was necessary to find others to help sew. The first year we shipped 10,600 bonnets. But the customers asked, "What else do you have?" I knew my reply of "nothing" would not suffice.

The most logical product that came to mind was to reverse the idea of the baby bonnet and make a handkerchief for the bride to carry. Then one day she could sew the handkerchief into a bonnet for her baby. With the addition of the Keepsake Wedding Handkerchief the line took another direction to wedding accessories.

I wrote my first poem to accompany the handkerchief. It was four lines; short and sweet.

Without Connie's sewing abilities my ideas would remain only thoughts in my head. You see, I really do not like to sew. Connie is a beautiful seamstress as was her 91-year-old mother, my mother-in-law, Mildred, who we lost nearly three years ago. My niece, Lisa, Connie's daughter took over "grandma's products".

Seeing our two children through their marriages and the births of our three grandchildren we came out with many new products for weddings and babies.

My husband, Jim joined me eleven years ago as a full time partner. He helps with the purchasing, computer work, packaging, reps and does a meticulously superior job of packing the orders for shipping. He also became a great chef, at first out of desperation for dinner, and makes most of our meals.

Ten years ago we grew out of our home business and relocated to Greenacres, Washington. At that time we changed the business name to KBC Products. I have a spectacular view from my office window of God's beautiful heaven on earth. It makes a perfect environment for writing poetry.

We are a family business and love making a living while being close to one another. Two of our grandchildren live right next door to us.

It was not my intent to have a Christian company. The third product I came out with is a sweet little fabric covered Bible for children that plays the tune "Jesus Loves Me" . That was in 1985 and it still is one of our best sellers. It was soon after that I realized I was not a sole proprietor. I realized I wasn't alone while writing the poetry that touched so many. God has and is using me to reach thousands of people. I give Him the glory and praise for the success of our business. My greatest reward is when someone shares how our products and poetry have changed their life.

January 2010 marks our 20th year in business. Even in these poor economic times we offer quality keepsakes at an affordable price. You can visit our web site at www.kbcproducts.com to view all of our products.
 

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