Maureen Sullivan, our 2005 factory tour guide, in Kate's Herb Garden, which she tended all summer.

I lucked out this summer. I found a job where I was paid to be excited about toothpaste. How cool is that? Who knew such jobs existed? It was sure to be an easy job, too. I’ve been a loyal consumer of Tom’s products for years, so I wouldn’t have to feign enthusiasm. I’m naturally curious about everything, so learning all about the company wouldn’t be a chore, but rather something enjoyable. Oh, and I’m a teacher the rest of the year, so talking to folks is second nature. But here’s the bonus: giving factory tours turned out to be a way more rewarding experience than I had anticipated!

Over 500 folks from around the globe visited the factory in July and August. Many of them were longtime customers, and others were folks who had never heard of us, just travelers looking for a way to pass a rainy afternoon. We had visitors from across the nation, including Wisconsin, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, and Alaska. Three guys who biked from California to Maine in 25 days stopped in for the tour, and they bragged that the Lemongrass Deodorant kept them smelling fresh the whole way! Two Amish families from Indiana stopped by, and the kids were big fans of our Silly Strawberry toothpaste, so I sent them home with more. Production workers might remember a summer camp group from Boston, whose counselor, dressed as Captain Cavity-Fighter, donned a cape, mask, and tights. A couple from Norway, a family from Amsterdam, and two couples from Russia were among this summer’s visitors. None can buy Tom’s of Maine products where they live, but they loved the factory and the company’s philosophies, and they left here with bags full of factory seconds.

No matter where our guests traveled from or what their walks of life, they all shared one thing in common: they had plenty of questions!

Of course, I was asked all the obvious questions. People want to know if Tom and Kate still work here (they do, although Kate is a full-time artist now as well) and if their kids work for the company (some of them do), but some questions were more obscure: “How did Tom and Kate meet?” (They met when Tom was attending Trinity College in Connecticut, where Kate lived.) Most questions were easy to field: “How many employees work for the company?” (150.) “How many products do you make?" (Around 70.) But I admit I was stymied from time to time by hypothetical questions, such as “Why don’t you export to China/India/Central Europe?” (Just a business decision. That's not to say we might not explore the idea at some point in the future.) After being thoroughly mesmerized by the toothpaste line, more than one amazed guest has asked where the rest of the toothpaste was made. (It's all made right here, really!)

Naturally, many customers had some suggestions for us. One Texan proffered, “Automating your floss line would save money.” Our Community Partners team on the floss line and the children visitors would wholeheartedly disagree! For kids, the floss line is the bomb, the highlight of the tour. Seeing children excitedly package a floss of their own, side by side with our terrific staff, confirms my conviction that the cheaper way isn’t always the better way. Some enthusiastic visitors suggested new product lines, such as inspect repellent, sunscreen, body lotion, and makeup. One customer even commented, “Since you’re based in Maine, I’m surprised to see you don’t have a lobster-flavored toothpaste.” I was asked several technical questions throughout the summer, such as “Who designed the machines?” (Many suppliers, but Rich Thompson our Engineering Leader was responsible for selection and line design.); “How often do they break down?” (We perform preventive maintenance to avoid breakdowns, but once or twice a month something might stop working—we inventory key spare parts with an expert mechanic team to fix things quickly.); “What is the BTU output?” (Our lines don't output BTUs—units of heat—they output toothpaste and other wonderful products!); and “How long does it take to change flavors?” (Fifteen minutes to sixty minutes depending on the products involved.)

Some visitors made historical inquiries. They wanted to know if Tom has a chemistry background (no, he doesn't—he's just a natural entrepreneur!) and for exactly how long was that Kitchen-Aid mixer used? (It was used for quite a while, actually—for over 20 years in the lab, mixing test batches.) Leave it to the wee ones to ask questions that were just plain adorable: “Why don’t you make blueberry toothpaste?” (We'd actually love to—it's just that blueberries tend to stain teeth, which isn't a great thing for a toothpaste to do!) and “How do you get the strawberries in the tube?” rank among kids’ most often asked questions, and I couldn’t hold back a huge grin when, upon seeing the commanding figure of George Day, one of our employees, up on a ladder at Filler #1, one tiny tyke asked, “Is that Tom?”

Some financially-minded visitors wanted to know how much we gross and if the company is publicly traded (it's not; we're still privately owned), and other visitors asked conscientious questions: “Why don’t you recycle the hairnets?” (Sanitation requirements); “Are all of the suppliers U.S.-based?” (No, but we put priority on purchasing as locally as we can); “Do you compost?” (We compost the marque from macerating our herbs); and “Do people like working here?” (Definitely, yes!) I would be amiss to leave out the most bizarre questions I was asked. Standing at our little herb garden, a man asked if we had a bigger herb garden out back, or if this was it. The oddest question of the season award: “You said you use the honeysuckle deodorant. May I smell how it smells on you?”

I did my best to answer everyone’s questions, and with every answer that I was able to give, I tried to instill parts of the company’s Stewardship Model, Mission Statement, Reason for Being, and Statement of Beliefs in my response, figuring I couldn’t go wrong that way. I really love this company, and as I told each visitor, Tom’s of Maine already had me as a lifelong customer before I came to work here, but now that I’ve seen how everything runs, this company’s got me as a lifelong advocate, too.

Thanks everyone, for a terrific summer.

Tom's of Maine offers factory tours in Sanford in the summer months only, on Mondays through Thursdays at 9:30, 10:30, 1:00 and 2:00 and on Fridays at 9:30 and 10:30. Tours take around 45 minutes. Reservations are required—call 800-775-2388 or stop by the Tom's of Maine Outlet Store in Kennebunk to make a reservation in person. Click here for more information and directions.