Ben Vanden Wymelenberg’s, at the young age of 22, generated a business idea while he was supposed to be studying at school. Little did he know that this business idea would rocket into a very successful venture. I have to say, this is a dream for many of us students, especially within the entrepreneurship department.
One night, while building a project for one of his college classes, Ben placed a small section of wood on top of his iPhone while testing out his project. The wood was shaped slightly like a case, and ended up fitting his phone like a glove. Not only this but he loved the way it looked! This minuscule experimentation ignited an idea that would take Ben and his life to new heights. Along with his college friend Kevin Groenjes, Ben launched Woodchuck.
Woodchuck is a company that manufactures real wood cases for phones, tablets, laptops and headphones. They were unique in that each piece of wood is handpicked and can be customized to the customer’s specifications. As the company’s website says, “Using the finest woods, Woodchuck offers decor and storage to bring nature back into your life”. The company’s passion for the product led to a deals with numerous businesses. These include the Mall of America, Best Buy, Target, and more. In fact, Ben and Kevin just signed a national distribution deal and are planning the launch of Woodchuck stores across the US.
Ben’s idea for the company not only came from a little experiment, but also from past personal experiences that shaped his views. The 2008 financial crisis personally effected his hometown. Having seen the tolls of this, Ben decided to manufacture, print, and assemble Woodchuck cases in within the US. These men remained committed to keeping Woodchuck products American-made, creating jobs within the US.
The company’s mission is “Putting nature back into people’s lives”. The company has recently partnered with a non-profit called Outdoor Nation. Together their hope is to re-kindling the bond that man had with nature. With the determination of the Woodchuck team, its commitment to “Made in the USA”, and its mission, the company has caught the eye of many! This specific case has made me realize that having a product/business idea doesn’t have to be completely new and un-thought of, it just has to have the right and unique mission and team driving it in the right direction!
I love to read about companies/ventures that happen kind of on accident. This is such a neat idea. Also, being that they are made in the USA makes me much more inclined to purchase the product. They have done a great job targeting a certain niche.
This is so cool! I had never heard about this company before, so I decided to take a look at their website. Not only do they have phone cases, but they also have journals and accessories (such as luggage tags) as well. They even make maps of the world, which as a history major, is seriously so awesome. I’m kind of curious as to what made them suddenly decide to do more than just real-wood phone cases. I mean, how do maps correlate with wood?
At the top of their website, it claims that they have planted 353,224 trees. Like Toms, this is a business that gives back to the community and world. I think it’s so incredible when businesses have a stronger motivation than merely selling their products.
I really like this story. Not only was the idea simple, but it was discovered almost by accident! Like you said in your post, this is something I can only dream about achieving sometime in my life, as I do believe it only takes one great idea to be successful.