Kikkerland Design Inc. offers a charitable give-back program with its Huckleberry product line.

Describe your company’s mission.

LK: Since 1992, Kikkerland Design’s mission has always been to make products that are well designed, delightful and well-meaning.

How do your products serve the mission?

LK: We are constantly focused on innovation, sustainability and how to give back. We also hope to share a sense of humor that keeps us all going.

The Huckleberry product line invites kids to play outside and offers simple tools for young explorers to start their own outdoor adventure. We wanted to share the experience with an organization and started working with Children and Nature Network who has the same vision, and 2% of yearly sales are donated to this organization.

We are pleased to offer additional products that support a variety of causes. Our ZéCar Fly Wheel Car helps to reforest public space in Brazil through the Mil Folhas Project. We also offer a line of notebooks and stationery products, WRITERSBLOK, that supports writing skills in students ages 6 to 18. Additionally, we work with George Skelcher, designer, on a product that donates annually to Help USA.

What are the plans for the future?

LK: For the last year we have been eliminating plastic packaging on our products. All new products will be designed with this in mind. We are going back through our existing products and updating to paper. Our next Design Challenge is slated for the Appalachias! We will be working with Appalachian State College in North Carolina.

How can retailers get involved?

LK: Retailers can get involved by speaking up, let the vendors know what is important to them and their customers. We love to get requests on how we can make things better for our customers.

Debbie Eisele

Debbie Eisele is the former managing editor for Gift Shop Plus, Stationery Trends and a variety of special issue publications, including: The Guide, Holiday Shop, Celebrations & Occasions and Waterfront Living.