Blue Sky Bee Supply
Blue Sky Bee Supply is a US-based, privately-held e-commerce retailer founded in 2006 and based in Ravenna, Ohio that sells beekeeping supplies, hive components, processing equipment, and honey packaging products — including custom label design — to hobbyist beekeepers, sideliners, and commercial honey packers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersRavenna, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Blue Sky Bee Supply does
Blue Sky Bee Supply is a privately-held, US-based specialty e-commerce retailer founded in 2006 and headquartered in Ravenna, Ohio. The company sells beekeeping supplies and honey packaging products directly to hobbyist beekeepers, sideliners, and commercial honey packers across North America, operating primarily through a Shopify-powered online storefront and complemented by a physical showroom with dockside pickup at its Ohio headquarters.
The product portfolio spans the full beekeeping workflow organized into nine categories: honey containers (glass and plastic jars, bears, Muth jars, caps, lids, pails, jugs), labels and marketing materials (customizable templates, full custom label design, nutrition/varietal labels, banners, business cards, signs), hive components and kits (wood and polystyrene 8- and 10-frame kits, Ross Round comb kits, frames, foundation), hive management (protective gear including the proprietary BeeKool PRO line, smokers, queen excluders, feeders, Varroa pest management, queen rearing supplies), honey and wax processing equipment (extractors, uncapping tools, bottling, wax tanks, candle molds), pollen and comb honey production systems, books/DVDs, gifts and DIY supplies, and sale/clearance items. SKU counts are meaningful within key categories (86 in containers, 112 in labels, 66 in hive components).
Revenue is generated through one-time product sales across three primary customer segments — hobbyist/sideline beekeepers (primary), commercial honey packers (secondary), and DIY/market sellers — via direct-to-consumer e-commerce and a physical retail showroom. Pricing is unit-based per item or case, ranging from roughly $1.95 (caps) to $2,390 (a Maxant 10-gallon honey creamer), with custom label design services priced separately. The company invests in educational content (blog, Vimeo how-to videos, 'Bee Blast' email newsletter) and organic social (Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram) to support SEO and category authority. No external funding, M&A, subsidiaries, patents, or institutional ownership structures are disclosed.
Blue Sky Bee Supply firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Sky Bee Supply
- Legal name
- Blue Sky Bee Supply
- Website
- https://blueskybeesupply.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Blue Sky Bee Supply is a US-based, privately-held e-commerce retailer founded in 2006 and based in Ravenna, Ohio that sells beekeeping supplies, hive components, processing equipment, and honey packaging products — including custom label design — to hobbyist beekeepers, sideliners, and commercial honey packers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blue Sky Bee Supply industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Beekeeping Supplies and Honey Packaging Retail
- NAICS
- Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers (4442), Apiculture (112910)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Machinery, Equipment & Supplies (5080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Hives, Frames, Tools, PPE) (AFAEAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling (AFAEAHAL)
Keywords
Where Blue Sky Bee Supply is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ravenna
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blue Sky Bee Supply business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Revenue generated from selling honey containers, labels, hive components, beekeeping tools, protective gear, processing equipment, and accessories directly to beekeepers and honey producers through e-commerce and retail channels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Honey Containers - Glass and plastic containers for honey storage and sale |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom and stock labels for honey jars |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Hive Kits and Components |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Blue Sky Bee Supply product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Sky Bee Supply is a U.S. retailer that sells beekeeping equipment and honey packaging supplies directly to consumers and small commercial operators through a Shopify e-commerce site and a physical showroom in Ravenna, Ohio. Core categories include honey containers (glass, plastic, caps, lids, pails, jugs), customizable and full-custom honey labels and marketing materials, hive components and kits (wood and polystyrene, 8-frame and 10-frame), hive management supplies (protective gear, smokers, feeders, pest control, queen rearing), and honey and wax processing equipment. Pricing is per-unit with bulk/wholesale options for honey packers.
Product overview
Blue Sky Bee Supply is an e-commerce retailer offering a comprehensive portfolio of beekeeping supplies and honey packaging solutions organized into distinct product categories. The core offerings include Honey Containers (glass jars, plastic containers, caps, lids, and bulk pails for packaging honey), Labels & Marketing (customizable label designs, full custom labels, and marketing materials like banners and business cards), Hive Components & Kits (wood and polystyrene beehive kits, frames, foundation, and hive bodies), Hive Management (protective gear, tools, smokers, feeders, pest management, and queen rearing supplies), Honey & Wax Processing (extractors, uncapping equipment, bottling gear, and wax processing tanks), and Pollen & Comb Honey Production (pollen traps and Ross Round comb systems). The company also offers supplementary products including books, gifts, market display items, and sale/clearance products. The portfolio serves hobbyist beekeepers, sideliners, and commercial honey packers with both retail and wholesale pricing options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Honey Containers Glass and plastic honey storage and packaging products ranging from 16oz Glass Classics and specialty Muth jars to bear-shaped bottles, bulk plastic classics, pails, jugs, and matching caps/lids/corks/shrink bands; used by hobbyist and commercial beekeepers to bottle and sell honey.
- Labels and Marketing Materials Customizable Blue Sky label designs, full custom label design services, Muth jar labels, clear and gold foil labels, nutrition/granulation/varietal/tamper-proof/favor labels, plus marketing collateral such as banners, signs, business cards, table runners, and marketing sets for honey sellers.
- Hive Components and Kits Beehive starter kits and individual hive components including 10-frame and 8-frame wood kits, Ross Round comb section kits, individual wood hive bodies, supers, bottom boards, frames, foundation, nails, glue, and Paradise Polystyrene components in 10-frame and 6-frame sizes.
- Hive Management Supplies Products for ongoing apiary maintenance including BeeKool PRO and Blue Sky Deluxe Cotton protective gear, NewBee Kids suits, gloves/veils/helmets, smokers, queen excluders, splits and swarm supplies, feeders and supplements, Varroa mite and SHB/mice/robbing pest management, winterizing supplies, and queen rearing equipment (JZ's BZ's, Cupalurvae/Nicot systems).
- Honey and Wax Processing Equipment Equipment for harvesting and processing honey and beeswax including harvest and super removal tools, uncapping knives and processors, honey extractors, bottling equipment, wax processing tanks, and candle molds.
- Pollen and Comb Honey Production Specialized equipment for producing pollen and comb honey including Sundance pollen traps and Ross Round comb section systems with associated packaging for comb honey products.
- Market Table Add-ons Products for selling honey at farmers markets including honey sticks, plastic taster spoons, beeswax wraps, wooden honey dippers, lip balm tubes, and gift boxes for jar packaging.
- Books, Gifts, DIY Projects, and Merchandise Beekeeping books and DVDs, gifts and DIY project supplies, and Blue Sky Bee Supply branded merchandise targeted at hobbyist beekeepers and gift buyers.
Companies that use Blue Sky Bee Supply
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Blue Sky Bee Supply technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blue Sky Bee Supply partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Blue Sky Bee Supply competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brushy Mountain Bee Farm: Moravian Falls, NC-based supplier of beekeeping equipment, containers, and protective gear. A direct peer competing across hive components, processing, and packaging categories with similar catalog depth and DTC focus.
- GloryBee: Eugene, OR-based beekeeping and honey products company selling hive supplies, containers, and bee-related food products. Overlaps with Blue Sky on beekeeping equipment and honey packaging while extending into finished honey and ingredient supply.
- Dadant & Sons: Established 1863 beekeeping supplier offering hive components, tools, extractors, and packaging supplies. A direct competitor serving both hobbyist and commercial beekeepers, with comparable product breadth and an additional publishing arm (American Bee Journal).
- Betterbee: Greenwich, NY-based beekeeping supplier selling hives, protective gear, processing equipment, and honey containers with an on-site teaching apiary. Closely comparable DTC and showroom model serving hobbyist and sideliner beekeepers in the Northeast.
- Kelley Beekeeping: Clarkson, KY-based beekeeping supplier founded in 1924, offering woodware, tools, containers, and apparel. Competes directly with Blue Sky on hive components and packaging, with strong catalog overlap and similar hobbyist/commercial customer mix.
- Miller Bee Supply: Willmar, MN-based beekeeping supplier selling hive components, containers, and processing equipment. A direct peer in the hobbyist and sideliner segment with comparable product mix and DTC distribution approach.
- Country Rubes: Polson, MT-based beekeeping supplier offering hive components, tools, and apparel. A comparable smaller-scale specialty retailer serving hobbyist beekeepers, with overlapping but narrower catalog versus Blue Sky.
- Mann Lake Ltd. One of the largest US beekeeping suppliers, offering a comprehensive catalog of hive components, protective gear, honey processing equipment, and packaging. Directly competes with Blue Sky across nearly every product category but at significantly greater scale and broader distribution.
Broad incumbents
- Tractor Supply Co. National rural-lifestyle retailer carrying a limited selection of beekeeping supplies, containers, and protective gear. Not a specialist but competes for the same hobbyist beekeeper purchases through brand recognition, store footprint, and frequent-purchaser economics.
Emerging players
- BeeWeaver Apiary: Navasota, TX-based apiary selling bees, nucleus hives, and selected beekeeping equipment. Partial overlap with Blue Sky — more focused on live bees and colony sales, but provides adjacent equipment that competes for the same hobbyist customer wallet.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blue Sky Bee Supply social profiles
Digital presenceBlue Sky Bee Supply financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Sky Bee Supply leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Blue Sky Bee Supply funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Sky Bee Supply M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Sky Bee Supply
What does Blue Sky Bee Supply do?
Blue Sky Bee Supply is a U.S. retailer that sells beekeeping equipment and honey packaging supplies directly to consumers and small commercial operators through a Shopify e-commerce site and a physical showroom in Ravenna, Ohio. Core categories include honey containers (glass, plastic, caps, lids, pails, jugs), customizable and full-custom honey labels and marketing materials, hive components and kits (wood and polystyrene, 8-frame and 10-frame), hive management supplies (protective gear, smokers, feeders, pest control, queen rearing), and honey and wax processing equipment. Pricing is per-unit with bulk/wholesale options for honey packers.
Is Blue Sky Bee Supply a public or private company?
Blue Sky Bee Supply is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blue Sky Bee Supply founded?
Blue Sky Bee Supply was founded in 2006. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Blue Sky Bee Supply based?
Blue Sky Bee Supply is headquartered in Ravenna, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blue Sky Bee Supply make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are Blue Sky Bee Supply's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, GloryBee, Dadant & Sons, Betterbee, Kelley Beekeeping, Miller Bee Supply, Country Rubes and Mann Lake Ltd.. Tractor Supply Co. is listed as a broad incumbent. BeeWeaver Apiary is listed as an emerging player.
Does Blue Sky Bee Supply have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue Sky Bee Supply.
What industry is Blue Sky Bee Supply in?
Blue Sky Bee Supply's product category is Beekeeping Supplies and Honey Packaging Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAHAI, Beekeeping Equipment Manufacturing & Supply (Hives, Frames, Tools, PPE), with a secondary code of AFAEAHAL, Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling. Its NAICS code is 4442 and its SIC code is 5080.