In their 3-acre backyard in Ludington, Kim and Richard Ambrose set up three beehives that were intended to be for their personal use. Soon after, Kim realized there was a market for creating and selling lip balm made from beeswax. Before long she was looking to expand her business, and tapped her sister, Kelly Bonnema, to join the venture. “We went to our favorite stores around town and passed out samples,” Ambrose says, “but the merchants told us we needed to refine our products more.” After making a few adjustments, the sisters began sharing the new version of their lip balms with family and friends, and asked for feedback.
In 2018, the pair spent several months preparing for a local entrepreneur contest. They wound up winning the competition and were awarded $50,000. Soon after, they hired a few people and began to work on branding and packaging their products, which they called Sister Bees. From there, they visited different boutique shops along Michigan’s western coastline and found a receptive market. “We went to local stores and farmers markets in Holland, Grand Rapids, Traverse City, and even on the northeast side, in Mackinaw City, and we knocked on a lot of doors with samples,” Ambrose says.
Based on positive feedback, the siblings opened a small store in downtown Ludington in 2018. Today, they offer 18 different lip balm flavors. A single lip balm retails for $5, while sets of three cost $13.
Partnering with a local beekeeper to meet demand for Sister Bees products, Ambrose says she buys 50 barrels of honey annually. She notes that each barrel holds 55 gallons. The product line for lip balms includes lavender lemonade, which is their best-seller and accounts for 10 percent of annual sales.Their customers’ second favorite is chai latte.
Bonnema, a Zeeland resident, handles a line of infused honey products. Seventy-five percent of those sales come from Michigan, with the remainder spread across the country. The honey offerings include bourbon, tequila and lime, American cherry whiskey, lavender, buckwheat, and hot honey.
There are also creamed honeys in flavors like cinnamon, spiced chai, and blueberry crumble, along with a line of skin care.
Victoria’s Jewelry in downtown Ludington, owned by Vicki and Mike Drzik, has become a dedicated customer. “The lavender honey is really good, and I put it in tea,” Vicki says. “The blueberry honey has a great flavor. I put it on my bagels and toast. I enjoy all the lip balms, and they work well. I also send the lip balms to friends, and I’ve used some of the skin-care items.”
A Ludington resident for 40 years, Marie Fay has been a customer since Sister Bees opened. “ The raw wildflower honey is superb,” she says. “It’s not pasteurized, and it’s anti-inflammatory. I use the honey tonic in the winter. I also use a teaspoon of honey on my toast every morning. The nutrients go a long way. I like buying local, but I’m buying their honey because it’s the best.”
