Sanders County and beyond

Tucked away near the town of Noxon, Bighorn Botanicals, a family owned and operated company, has earned a garnished reputation by creating "sustainably wildcrafted" herbal dietary supplements and cosmetics using the natural taxane source from the Yew tree.

Founded by Rus Willis, the company's journey started out by harvesting and processing Pacific Yew Bark (Taxus brevifolia) for a pharmaceutical company who was developing a chemotherapeutic drug from the naturally occurring compounds called Taxanes in the Yew tree. By the end of the contract in 1993, those within the company had become experts at drying and milling Pacific Yew. Bighorn Botanicals is now run by the founder's daughter, Chelsey Willis.

"I got involved in the company when I was a senior in high school," Willis said. "I became very intrigued and grabbed a hold of it with both arms. It's the best thing I could do for my boys and myself and continue my father's legacy; I hope this business stays in the family for generations. Our loyal customers and their stories also keep me encouraged to continue these products."

Willis, who personally is involved during harvest and bulk manufacturing, says the company has an established relationship with the U.S. Forest Service. The resources are all harvested locally within northwest Montana and northern Idaho. The company's YewTips are hand-pruned branch tips, which do not harm the tree, a core value of the sustainable company.

Willis has been running the family business for the last 17 years and says she was trained by her father and grandmother.

"My grandmother taught me how to run a business and my father taught me about quality control, manufacturing all the products and FDA regulations to maintain standard operating procedures and compliances," she said.

The company has complete control over all harvesting and manufacturing in their 10,000-square-foot processing and storage facility. They are inspected by the health department on an annual basis and are registered and inspected by the FDA to comply with current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations.

"Everything is made in-house, we don't subcontract anything out," Willis said. "All products are lab reviewed and approved before they are marketed for sale."

While the extensive list of products can be purchased on the company's website, Bighorn Botanicals can also be found locally at Uptown Essentials, pharmacies in Thompson Falls, Plains, Superior and at the Mercantile Café in Noxon.

One of Willis' first steps in the company was a total redesign of the packaging and labeling, which she says was a big hit. The company currently employs six people and will bring on several more during harvest. "We have a really wonderful team we work with," Willis said.

To increase familiarity of their products, Bighorn Botanicals travels around to various trade shows, including Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California, which Willis says around 89,000 people attend.

Because of her extensive work with the public, Willis says Bighorn Botanicals had a featured product in the May 2021 edition of Health Magazine. She said it was a good feeling as the magazine approached her on a product they found to be successful.

Willis says a few of her favorite products within the line include the YewTips oils and tinctures. "Extracts are a quick, fast and effective way to absorb the product," she stated. "The oil is the main ingredient in all our topicals."

The cucumber lotion is her second favorite and became a top seller once she redesigned the product's ingredient list and signature scent. "We are the only company in the world offering these products," Willis added.

As for the future of Bighorn Botanicals, the manager says as the company grows, she wants to keep the business in the family. Willis stated, "like dad says, our company is like the Yew tree; slow growing, but long lived."

Visit Bighorn Botanicals on Facebook or online at bighornbotanicals.com or call (406) 847-5597 for more information.