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Awards & Recognition
Animal Wellness Magazine
Seal of Approval
BuddyBeds receives the coveted Animal Wellness Seal of Approval for their Orthopedic Memory Foam Pet Beds!
Animal Wellness is a nationally acclaimed magazine devoted to providing timely information and leading edge articles on animal wellness issues. Their Seal of Approval is given only to products they deem to meet their standards of quality and effectiveness after rigorous in-house testing. Buddy Beds is proud to display this prestigious honor. It is the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval of the pet industry.
(The President/CEO of the magazine has a BuddyBed in his office for his Labrador retriever.)
SoStyleyPUP.com
Sweet Dreams
Buddy Beds
August, 2008
BUDDY BEDS - Sweet Dreams
You may not be the only one in the family counting sheep on sleepless nights. Yes, despite outward appearances, your dog, your buddy, doesn't sleep well on just any ordinary bed either. And if he could tell you that, he would.
Denver based Buddy Beds uses orthopedic memory foam, not fiberfill, in all of their pet beds. Older dogs love the comfort of an orthopedic bed, because it eases joint pain. But even if your dog is healthy, spry, and still jumping over fences to chase squirrels, a Buddy Bed is proactive way to keep him pain free, well into his senior years.
Older animals can suffer from a variety of degenerative conditions that can be soothed by the orthopedic benefits of memory foam. With Buddy Beds there are no more aching joints, no more pressure points, no more sore hips. Add a waterproof, breathable liner and a cozy, washable cover to the mix and poof, you have a uniquely personalized bed that offers fancy sleep technology for your pet, and a good night's sleep for everyone in the house. And no, you can't sleep on it; it's for your best friend.
The Definitive Pet Guide - 5280 Magazine
Shopping for Colorado's Best Pet Products
Buddy Beds - Best Dog Bed
April, 2008
BUDDY BEDS - Best Dog Bed
The high-quality memory foam relieves painful pressure point (especially in older animals), and the waterproof fabric liner protects the bed from the best messes your dog can make. Sure, these beds are more expensive than your average pet pillow, but they last years and ensure your four-legged friends are oh-so-comfortable.
Denver Post - Business Section
This Just In!
Denver Entrepreneur's Idea: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie on Memory Foam
October 23, 2007
BUDDY BEDS
Is it possible to spend too much on a pet? Your answer may be clear after taking a look at the orthopedic memory foam rectangular pet beds offered by the folks at Buddy Beds.
Founded by Denverite Debra Holte, Buddy Beds LLC sell the pet beds online at www.buddybeds.com, saying they improve the quality of life for dogs and cats with hip or elbow dysplasia, canine arthritis, joints problems or just plain old age.
The memory foam cuts restless tossing turning so your well-rested pet is prepared for a more productive day.
ColoradoBizMagazine
Buddy Beds - Colorado Cool Stuff
May 2007
ColoradoCoolStuff By Eric Peterson
BUDDYBEDS
Inspired by her own arthritic cat, Debbie Holte started making orthopedic pet beds in 2004. Her patented innovation: a permanent liner made of waterproof, breathable fabric between the removable cover and the memory foam within. "We use the very best quality materials," Holte said. "It’s a high-end bed that will last." Available in three sizes and two styles, Holte’s BuddyBeds are the Rolls-Royces of the pet-bed market, featuring the memory foam NASA developed to help astronauts withstand the G-forces of atmospheric re-entry. "It’s soft where you want it and firm where you need it," said Holte, noting the material eliminates painful pressure points. "Pets to me are family. That’s the philosophy of BuddyBeds." $239 to $279 retail. Made by BuddyBeds LLC, Denver, (303) 744-0424, www.buddybeds.com. Available direct through the website only.
Bark Magazine
It's What's Inside That Counts
September/October 2006
"What makes an orthopedic dog bed 'orthopedic'? In a nutshell, pad material and pad density. The material needs to provide resilient support and cushioning and (in the case of egg-crate foam) the pad should be thick enought that the dog doesn't 'bottom out,' or compress the bedding. Circulation is improved when pressure points are eliminated, which means that dogs with joint pain or sore muscles, or those recovering from surgery, will have a better, more restorative rest.
Buddy Beds (buddybeds.com) Available in round, rectangular or 'snuggle' shapes, these beds boast high-quality Tempurpedic foam covered by a waterproof liner on top of two to three inches of support foam (depending on the size of the bed). Your own buddy will look forward to nap time."
"Best Pet Bed"
Westword's "2006 Best of Denver"
"Got a dog or cat with aching bones? Slip them into one of Debra Holte's high-quality, memory-foam pet beds, which offer orthopedic benefits similar to those enjoyed by two-legged hospital patients. What started as a home business has gone through the roof, with residents of the country's most animal-friendly city clamoring for BuddyBed's removable, waterproof, washable, anti-bacterial covers made of denim and fleece. It's a very good thing."
Dog World™ Magazine
February 2006
"Lap of Luxury! Aching elders and exhausted young puppies will al find relief in the comfort of this luxury bed with an orthopedic function. BuddyBed's comfort rests on two or three inches of high quality memory foam (for small and medium/large beds respectively), with cushion support that contours your dog's body. A breathable, waterproof fabric liner protects the foam for a longer life. Each BuddyBed design is guaranteed to be hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-static, and dust mite repellent. Plush, machine-washable covers are made of faux lambskin fleece and sturdy pre-washed denim, with extra long zipper for easy removal."
Pet Product News
Orthopedic Pet Bed
"Buddy Beds LLC introduces the Orthopedic Memory Foam Pet Bed, designed to respond to weight and temperature and to conform to every contour of the pet's body. It alleviates pressure points and reduces tossing and turning and i comfortable, waterproof and breathable."
March 2007
Denver Business Journal
January 2005
One month. Maybe two.
That was all the time it took Debbie Holte to realize her small, independent business was heading in a much larger direction and she no longer would be able to handle it all on her own. 
Holte, the owner, founder and designer of Buddy Beds, a bed made for pets, initially unveiled her product during the Denver Dumb Friends League's Furry Scurry, an annual owner-dog walk held in May at Washington Park that raises money for the animal shelter.
"I had booth space and a bed on display," Holte said. "People came by to let their dogs try it out." After the initial display, Holte received more than 20 orders in one week via the Internet. Buddy Beds, which feature an orthopedic memory foam and a specialized waterproof fabric liner, range in price from $139 to $189. Ten percent of the proceeds go to the Denver Dumb Friends League.
As with many entrepreneurs, Holte was running the business out of her home. She sewed and put the beds together there. She stored the completed ones there. She took orders and shipped them out from there.
She was caught off guard by the sudden success, and demand started to surpass supply.
"It's every entrepreneur's dream to have too much business," Holte said. "But, when you have a large product, storage can be cumbersome."
The beds and their subsequent orders began to stack, and Holte quickly was in over her head, literally and figuratively. She needed more room. She needed more people.
She needed help.
These weren't so much problems; they were needs. And they needed to be fulfilled.
When a fellow vendor recommended Holte contact a fulfillment house, the first thing that came to her mind was a magazine subscription service processing orders for publishers.
"I just said, 'Why?'" Holte said. "I had never heard of fulfillment other than that. [And] as a former money manager, I thought I was familiar with most business industries."
After contacting Chris Vail, owner of OutSource Promotions, a 15-year-old local fulfillment house in northeast Denver, Holte quickly learned about the numerous services Out-Source had to offer.
"As an industry [they] handle the storage, inventorying, credit card authorization, packaging, labeling and shipping of ... a product on a timely basis," Holte said. "Do I really want to run to The UPS Store every time I get an order? My problem now is keeping enough products for them to ship out."
Having someone else handle such transactions is particularly beneficial for small entrepreneurs such as Holte, just getting their business off the ground, Vail said.
"Large companies have their own fulfillment houses," said Vail, whose private company has a 40,000-square-foot warehouse with 28 full-time employees. "Smaller entrepreneurs can better manage their businesses and focus on things that are more important to [their] business, such as marketing."
Not having to worry about daily inventory is another advantage, Holte said.
"It prevents me from keeping a large inventory," Holte said. "That helps immensely with managing cash flow, which, as a small entrepreneur, is the biggest way to get tied up."
Some of OutSource's major local clients include Coors Brewing Co., Celestial Seasonings and Scott's Liquid Gold. "They treat me as if I were a Coors," Holte said.
Vail is the first to admit "OutSource" may not be the most politically correct name for an American company. But it was just a case of bad timing, even if it took 15 years.
The truth is, Vail pointed out, outsource wasn't always a sinister word.
"Back in the '90s, the word meant a controlled, fixed-cost opportunity for companies," Vail said. "Not companies shipping jobs overseas."
The name is especially ironic since OutSource has no employees or operations outside the Denver metro area. "Everything we do, all our employees, is local," Vail said. "That way we help the local economy and our own business."
And that's another aspect of Outsource that Holte finds appealing.
"Today's Buddy Bed consumer is aware of the importance of making products domestically," Holte said. "They don't want a Buddy Bed that was made in some far-off sweatshop. That's very important to me."
Peak Fulfillment is another local company specializing in the industry.
Peak, based in Lyons, originally was known as The Public Broadcast Fulfillment Center. It is an offshoot of Visability, which supplies fund-raising premiums, such as coffee mugs and T-shirts, for more than 100 public broadcasting stations. Peak was created as a separate entity in 2001. The company has a 15,000-square-foot warehouse and 25 employees.
"We're the national distribution center for NPR [National Public Radio] programs, like Car Talk," said John Burke, co-owner of Peak, a private company. "We [also] do e-commerce for local outlets like Breckenridge Brewery and Denver Race for the Cure."
SCOTT BERSHOF | 303-866-9674 sbershof@bizjournals.com
Also Featured on KUSA Channel 9 as:
"Cool Colorado Product"
Also Featured on WB Channel 2 as:
"Fabulous Product"
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"Best Pet Bed" -- Westword's "Best of Denver"
"Buddy Beds are the Rolls-Royces of the Pet-Bed Market"
Colorado Biz Magazine
Orthopedic Dog Beds Memory Foam Dog Beds
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