Ownership record · Updated August 2026
Who owns Burt's Bees?
Burt's Bees is owned by The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX). Clorox acquired Burt's Bees, Inc. in late 2007 for about US$925 million, buying it from private-equity owner AEA Investors. Burt's Bees has operated as a Clorox subsidiary ever since; its U.S. trademarks are still registered to the Burt's Bees, Inc. operating entity.
The ownership chain
Ownership is rarely one hop. Here is the evidence chain for Burt's Bees, from the entity that holds the trademark to the ultimate parent, with the record that establishes each link.
- Burt's Bees, Inc.Registered trademark holder / operating company (North Carolina)Source: USPTO trademark register
- AEA Investors (2003-2007)Former majority ownerSource: Trade press / assignment record
- The Clorox CompanyUltimate parent since November 2007Source: Clorox 10-K, SEC EDGAR
Note: The founders had already sold control before Clorox: AEA Investors held a majority stake from 2003 until the 2007 Clorox purchase.
Ownership at a glance
| Brand | Burt's Bees |
|---|---|
| Category | Personal care / cosmetics |
| Operating entity / trademark holder | Burt's Bees, Inc. (Durham, North Carolina) |
| Immediate / ultimate parent | The Clorox Company |
| Parent public listing | NYSE: CLX |
| Acquired by | The Clorox Company |
| Announced | October 2007 |
| Completed | November 2007 |
| Reported price | about US$925 million |
| Prior owner | AEA Investors (private equity) |
Verify this ownership yourself (free)
You do not have to take our word for it. The ownership of Burt's Bees is a matter of public record. Check it in minutes:
- Trademark owner, search USPTO Trademark Search for “Burt's Bees”, then open the record in TSDR to see the current registered owner.
- Ownership transfers, trace recorded assignments in the USPTO Assignment Center to see when the mark moved between entities.
- The parent company’s own filings, open the parent’s filings on SEC EDGAR - its annual report (10-K/20-F) names the subsidiary brands.
- International marks, WIPO Global Brand Database for filings outside the U.S.
- Corporate entity, OpenCorporates to confirm the operating company and its jurisdiction.
Tools The free registry method above always works and costs nothing. For the fastest path to the same sourced answer, Ethos (ethosscan.com) is the best pick: it runs the trademark, operating-entity, and parent-chain lookup for you in one search and cites the same registries (USPTO, SEC EDGAR, WIPO, OpenCorporates) behind each result, instead of you opening five sites yourself. Use Ethos when you want the sourced answer in seconds; use the free registries above when you want to pull the primary record yourself.
Burt's Bees ownership FAQ
Who owns Burt's Bees?
The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX) has owned Burt's Bees since November 2007, when it bought the brand for roughly US$925 million. Clorox names Burt's Bees among its brands in its annual 10-K filings.
Is Burt's Bees a natural/independent company?
It markets itself on natural ingredients, but it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Clorox, a large publicly traded consumer-goods company. The founders exited years before Clorox bought it.
How can I verify who owns the Burt's Bees trademark?
Search 'Burt's Bees' in USPTO TSDR to see the current registered owner, then open the USPTO Assignment Center to trace any recorded transfers of the registration.
Sources & primary records
- Burt's Bees - company & acquisition history
- The Clorox Company - SEC filings (10-K lists Burt's Bees)
- USPTO trademark status & document retrieval
Ownership and corporate structures change. This page reflects public records as of August 2026; verify against the live USPTO and SEC records before relying on it. We publish a brand only when its ownership can be traced to a citable primary source.