Balsam Hill
Encyclopedia
Balsam Hill makes artificial Christmas Trees
and Christmas decorations for consumer and commercial use. The privately held company is located in Northern California
and serves customers worldwide. Balsam Hill specializes in artificial Christmas trees modeled after naturally occurring varieties of commonly used Christmas Trees.
. To accomplish this mission, Harman and a team of designers crafted their trees to mimic nature
using on-site visits and cuttings from live trees as guides.
Based in Redwood City, California
, in the foothills of the scenic Santa Cruz Mountains
, Balsam Hill designs all of its own trees which are available on their website and at their flagship retail showroom in Palo Alto, CA. Each Christmas season, Balsam Hill operates two seasonal showrooms featuring their Signature Collection items. The seasonal showrooms are located at Stanford Shopping Center in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Lenox Square Mall in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, GA.
Signature and Napa
Christmas.
The Aspen Christmas Collection are inspired by trees from the Rocky Mountains
, the Vermont Signature Collection is inspired by trees native to New England
, and their Napa Christmas Signature Collection recreates styles native to the West Coast
. Most of the Signature Collection trees feature Balsam Hill’s True Needle technology and Color+Clear lights.
Most Balsam Hill trees come pre-lit and with the option for foot-pedal controlled clear or multicolored Christmas lights, or their Color+Clear remote-controlled lighting system. Lights are strung so that there are no exposed wires. They also include a lamp-lock feature that keeps bulbs from getting loose and a feature that ensures that if one bulb burns out, the rest stay lit. Balsam Hill trees range in height from four to 25 feet, and range in shape from slim to full. There is even a tree that is specifically made for outdoor use and another that is designed for small apartments. The trees are supported by ‘X’ shaped steel stands that collapse for easy storage. Potted trees are also available.
Trees are delivered in sections labeled in alphabetical order with “A” as the top of the tree, and the last letter at the base of the tree. Once they are delivered, the trees are built by inserting the sections on top of one another until the tree is fully assembled. The last step is to pull branches gently up and out to shape them and give them the fuller look.
Balsam Hill also produces matching wreath
s and garlands
for most of their trees. They are pre-lit with lights made to handle cold weather and can be used inside or outside.
in different pigments to mimic the structure, texture and color of natural evergreen
needles. A unique feature of True Needle foliage is the color variations within the branches. For example, the branch might be a brown/green while the needles start off a dark green and slowly fade to a lighter green.
to the Wall Street Journal. Balsam Hill trees also appeared on the nationally televised Megan Mullally Show
and Ellen DeGeneres
during the 2006 Christmas season.
During the 2007 Christmas season, Balsam Hill’s products began to gain recognition from the national media with a spot on NBC
’s “The Today Show.” The Balsam Fir from the Vermont Signature Collection won the “Best Overall” artificial Christmas tree in Good Housekeeping
magazine’s holiday issue. And Balsam Hill Christmas tree articles appeared in Home Journal
, Parents
, and even for Martha Stewart
's decorating tips.
Balsam Hill Trees then appeared on the ABC
program “Good Morning America
” and on Ellen DeGeneres’ show “Ellen,” in 2008.
pointed to things like the use of PVC pipes
in the production of artificial trees, leading to a head with the online game Attack of the Mutant Artificial Christmas Trees
. And artificial tree makers, often with Balsam Hill as the main outspoken defender with the American Christmas Tree Association
, pointed to environmental effects such as deforestation
and use of pesticides.
between real trees and artificial trees. Typically shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candle
s, lighters or matches start tree fires. Real trees must be watered to avoid combustion and dry trees cause hundreds of fires every year. Balsam Hill trees are generally thought of as safer in this regard because they do not have exposed wires and they do not have to be regularly watered to remain fire-safe.
Television appearances:
Artificial Christmas tree
Artificial Christmas trees are artificial pine and fir trees manufactured for the specific purpose of use as a Christmas tree. The earliest artificial Christmas trees were wooden, tree-shaped pyramids or feather trees, both developed by Germans...
and Christmas decorations for consumer and commercial use. The privately held company is located in Northern California
Northern California
Northern California is the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. The San Francisco Bay Area , and Sacramento as well as its metropolitan area are the main population centers...
and serves customers worldwide. Balsam Hill specializes in artificial Christmas trees modeled after naturally occurring varieties of commonly used Christmas Trees.
History
Balsam Hill was founded by Thomas Harman. He was inspired to start the company by his allergic brother in-law when he could not find an artificial tree that looked real enough. So Harman set out to develop a line of artificial trees that were highly realistic and luxuriousLuxury good
Luxury goods are products and services that are not considered essential and associated with affluence.The concept of luxury has been present in various forms since the beginning of civilization. Its role was just as important in ancient western and eastern empires as it is in modern societies...
. To accomplish this mission, Harman and a team of designers crafted their trees to mimic nature
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
using on-site visits and cuttings from live trees as guides.
Based in Redwood City, California
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
, in the foothills of the scenic Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
, Balsam Hill designs all of its own trees which are available on their website and at their flagship retail showroom in Palo Alto, CA. Each Christmas season, Balsam Hill operates two seasonal showrooms featuring their Signature Collection items. The seasonal showrooms are located at Stanford Shopping Center in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Lenox Square Mall in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta, GA.
Artificial Christmas tree collections
Balsam Hill carries four different collections: an original Balsam Hill Classics Collection, as well as three signature collections: Aspen Christmas, VermontVermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
Signature and Napa
Napa County, California
Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....
Christmas.
The Aspen Christmas Collection are inspired by trees from the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, the Vermont Signature Collection is inspired by trees native to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, and their Napa Christmas Signature Collection recreates styles native to the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. Most of the Signature Collection trees feature Balsam Hill’s True Needle technology and Color+Clear lights.
Most Balsam Hill trees come pre-lit and with the option for foot-pedal controlled clear or multicolored Christmas lights, or their Color+Clear remote-controlled lighting system. Lights are strung so that there are no exposed wires. They also include a lamp-lock feature that keeps bulbs from getting loose and a feature that ensures that if one bulb burns out, the rest stay lit. Balsam Hill trees range in height from four to 25 feet, and range in shape from slim to full. There is even a tree that is specifically made for outdoor use and another that is designed for small apartments. The trees are supported by ‘X’ shaped steel stands that collapse for easy storage. Potted trees are also available.
Trees are delivered in sections labeled in alphabetical order with “A” as the top of the tree, and the last letter at the base of the tree. Once they are delivered, the trees are built by inserting the sections on top of one another until the tree is fully assembled. The last step is to pull branches gently up and out to shape them and give them the fuller look.
Balsam Hill also produces matching wreath
Wreath
A wreath is an assortment of flowers, leaves, fruits, twigs and/or various materials that is constructed to resemble a ring. They are used typically as Christmas decorations to symbolize the coming of Christ, also known as the Advent season in Christianity. They are also used as festive headdresses...
s and garlands
Garland (decoration)
A garland is a decorative wreath or cord, used at festive occasions, which can be hung round a person's neck, or on inanimate objects like Christmas trees. Originally garlands were made of flowers or leaves.-Etymology:...
for most of their trees. They are pre-lit with lights made to handle cold weather and can be used inside or outside.
Technology
Balsam Hill makes their Christmas trees with foot-pedal controlled clear lights or multicolored lights. They also produce trees with a remote-controlled lighting system that can switch between multicolored and clear lights.True Needle Technology
The former marketing director for Britex Fabrics spent five years developing a technology that molds individual needles and varies in color on the tree to give it a realistic look. The True Needle foliage is made from injection-molded PE plasticPolyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene is the most widely used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons...
in different pigments to mimic the structure, texture and color of natural evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
needles. A unique feature of True Needle foliage is the color variations within the branches. For example, the branch might be a brown/green while the needles start off a dark green and slowly fade to a lighter green.
Television and Print
Balsam Hill began gaining recognition in 2006 with print coverage ranging from the Oakland Tribune and San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
to the Wall Street Journal. Balsam Hill trees also appeared on the nationally televised Megan Mullally Show
The Megan Mullally Show
The Megan Mullally Show is an American talk show hosted by Megan Mullally that debuted in syndication on September 18, 2006, and was cancelled in January 2007 due to its low ratings. Early promotions for the program featured Mullally as herself and as her Will & Grace character, Karen Walker...
and Ellen DeGeneres
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, often shortened to Ellen, is an American television talk show hosted by comedian/actress Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it is produced by Telepictures and airs in syndication, including stations owned by NBC Universal. For its first five seasons, the show...
during the 2006 Christmas season.
During the 2007 Christmas season, Balsam Hill’s products began to gain recognition from the national media with a spot on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
’s “The Today Show.” The Balsam Fir from the Vermont Signature Collection won the “Best Overall” artificial Christmas tree in Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping is a women's magazine owned by the Hearst Corporation, featuring articles about women's interests, product testing by The Good Housekeeping Institute, recipes, diet, health as well as literary articles. It is well known for the "Good Housekeeping Seal," popularly known as the...
magazine’s holiday issue. And Balsam Hill Christmas tree articles appeared in Home Journal
Town & Country (magazine)
Town & Country, formerly the Home Journal and The National Press, is a monthly American lifestyle magazine. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States.-Early history:...
, Parents
Parents (magazine)
Parents, published by Meredith Corporation, is the oldest parenting publication in the U.S. It was first published in October 1926.Its editorial focus is on the daily needs and concerns of mothers with young children. The glossy monthly features information about child health, safety, behavior,...
, and even for Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
's decorating tips.
Balsam Hill Trees then appeared on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
program “Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
” and on Ellen DeGeneres’ show “Ellen,” in 2008.
Seasonal debate on environmental effects
In December 2007 the New York Times covered the seasonal debate on the environmental effects of real Christmas trees versus artificial Christmas trees. Sales of artificial trees had risen to 9.3 million per year. Real Christmas tree sales were still selling at three times that rate. But a debate raged on about the environmental effects of real versus artificial Christmas trees. The defenders of real trees under the National Christmas Tree AssociationNational Christmas Tree Association
The National Christmas Tree Association is a professional organization in the United States of over 5,100 "Christmas tree professionals" in various capacities. The group focuses its work into three areas: promotion and research, federal representation , and professional education...
pointed to things like the use of PVC pipes
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride is a plastic.PVC may also refer to:*Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor*Peripheral venous catheter, a small, flexible tube placed into a peripheral vein in order to administer medication or fluids...
in the production of artificial trees, leading to a head with the online game Attack of the Mutant Artificial Christmas Trees
Attack of the Mutant Artificial Christmas Trees
"Attack of the Mutant Artificial Christmas Trees" is a free online video game developed as part of a marketing campaign by the National Christmas Tree Association in 2004...
. And artificial tree makers, often with Balsam Hill as the main outspoken defender with the American Christmas Tree Association
American Christmas Tree Association
The American Christmas Tree Association is an American, non-profit organization and industry trade group that represents those involved in the artificial Christmas tree industry. The president of the group is Thomas Harman, who is also the president and CEO of Balsam Hill, a seller of artificial...
, pointed to environmental effects such as deforestation
Deforestation
Deforestation is the removal of a forest or stand of trees where the land is thereafter converted to a nonforest use. Examples of deforestation include conversion of forestland to farms, ranches, or urban use....
and use of pesticides.
Fire safety
Another topic of conversation for consumers has been the difference in fire safetyFire safety
Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the...
between real trees and artificial trees. Typically shorts in electrical lights or open flames from candle
Candle
A candle is a solid block or cylinder of wax with an embedded wick, which is lit to provide light, and sometimes heat.Today, most candles are made from paraffin. Candles can also be made from beeswax, soy, other plant waxes, and tallow...
s, lighters or matches start tree fires. Real trees must be watered to avoid combustion and dry trees cause hundreds of fires every year. Balsam Hill trees are generally thought of as safer in this regard because they do not have exposed wires and they do not have to be regularly watered to remain fire-safe.
"Slim is in" campaign
In December 2008, Balsam Hill announced the introduction of the Fifth Avenue Flatback Christmas tree, the first True Needle tree with a space-saving, slim design. The tree’s flatback design allows it to rest flat up against any wall, saving floor space in narrow areas or tight spaces.External links
Company Website:Television appearances: