JACKSON, Wis. — Meet Sara and Anne, sisters and owners of HDI Wholesale in Jackson, Wisconsin. I met them at our “Let’s Talk Washington County” event earlier this year.
They wanted me to know about their work with nonprofit organizations because of my decades-long connection with the Community Baby Shower.
So, I went to their 70,000-square-foot warehouse in Jackson to see their work for myself.
Anne Blaedow and Sara Depies are sisters. They grew up in the business, with their mother starting the company more than 40 years ago. Sara says they were “women owned before it was a thing.”
The business started as retail stores selling housewares. Over the years, it’s evolved into wholesale, selling toys, school supplies and hygiene products. But then, the sisters noticed another great need among nonprofits working with families.
Anne says that Sara, as the company buyer, “would find these great deals on diapers and they would be gone instantly.” That demand got these entrepreneurs thinking, “We need to find a factory that will manufacture on our behalf so we can pass that savings along to the diaper banks.”
Watch: The Jackson women behind 'HDI Wholesale', a unique solution to diaper demand
The sisters decided on a manufacturer in China, and their Brookies brand of diapers was born.
Anne says, “We worked hand in glove with the National Diaper Bank Network in developing our Brookies diapers to meet their specifications, their quality standard and, most importantly, to meet their pricing standard.”
That was less than two years ago, and they processed more than 8.5 million diapers last year.
They want nonprofits in Wisconsin and around the country to know about their diapers and other items that they sell for 30% to 60% less than retail prices.
It’s a mission that is about more than business. As Sara says, “Everybody who works here is impassioned to help other organizations do their work, stretch those dollars and really make a bigger impact in those communities.”
You can check out their website at hdiwholesale.com.
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