Laura zander co owner and founder of jimmy beans wool
Jimmy Beans Wool is an American yarn retailer. Primarily operating online, the company has a physical location in Reno, Nevada. Jimmy Beans Wool ships to over 60 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Uzbekistan. Jimmy Beans Wool also releases a bi-monthly newsletter and instructional videos.
Contents
Jimmy beans wool
History
Laura and Doug Zander founded Jimmy Beans Wool in 2002. Laura Zander, previously a software engineer, became CEO of the company. The original store in Truckee, California, located in a historic train depot, sold coffee and yarn. The company no longer sells coffee. Available yarn includes imports from South America, Turkey and Italy.
From 2004 to 2007, the company's annual revenue remained steady at $1.2 million. By 2010, sales had reached $4 million. Beginning in 2010, Jimmy Beans Wool created Beans for Brains, an annual scholarship for students who complete an original knit or crochet design. The scholarship is made possible through donations from companies including Vogue Knitting Magazine, Red Heart Yarns, Universal Yarns, Lorna's Laces, and Knitter's Pride Needles. In 2012, the company partnered with Red Heart Yarns to sponsor seven-time X Games champion and Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis. Jacobellis' charity, "Hats 4 Hounds" produces hats for charity using only Red Heart yarn through Jimmy Beans Wool. Jimmy Beans Wool also produced a series of books for The Heart Truth or Stitch Red campaign which raises awareness of heart disease in women. In 2012, “Knit Red: Stitching for Women's Heart Health” was published and included all red project designs. In 2013, "Sew Red: Sewing & Quilting for Women's Heart Health" was published.
The company relocated its operations to a warehouse in Reno, Nevada in 2012. It was featured on the Inc. 5000 list from 2009 to 2014. Jimmy Beans Wool made $7 million in revenue in 2013 and $8 million in revenue in 2014. In October 2015, the company launched Beanie Bags, a monthly subscription which sends customers four different yarn samples, links to patterns, and small items such as crochet hooks and knitting needles. By November 2015, Beanie Bags had 5,400 customers subscribed.