Healthy Baby Essentials gets passed down to next gen

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – After growing his breast pump business, Healthy Baby Essentials, “tenfold” since its inception, Jeff Goldshine is handing the reins to his son, Willie Goldshine. 

Healthy Baby got its start as Lactation Consultants in 2012, when it stepped in to fill a void when Invacare exited the breast pump market. Jeff Goldshine approached competitor Enos Home Medical to develop a breast pump business, eventually adding www.breastpumps.com.  

“The relationship has grown into a very vibrant one and we are one of the nation’s largest providers of breast pumps under the Affordable Care Act,” said Jeff Goldshine, who is retiring as president and CEO. “We started out as a provider of breast pumps regionally, here in Massachusetts, with our employees in hospitals to provide new mothers with breast pump choices.” 

With the implementation of ACA in 2014 making breast pumps a covered item, Healthy Baby developed different strategies to reach moms through the Internet, direct mail and relationships with lactation consultants across the country. It has gone from the pre-ACA days of carrying the only two pumps at the time to carrying devices from several leading manufacturers. 

Healthy Baby has also added milk storage bags, pump replacement parts and supplies, and blood pressure monitors for women with pregnancy-related hypertension. 

“We are fully committed to providing people with choice,” said Jeff Goldshine. “We only deal with known manufacturers so we can ensure the right pump, the right warranty and the right support services.” 

Jeff Goldshine credits the company’s success to his 50 employees across several states. 

“The success of this business has been completely driven by the commitment of the employees and their understanding that the customer is always right,” he said. 

Willie Goldshine, who has been with the company for eight years, has worked “in tandem” with his father and the operations team. He says he doesn’t see his role in the company changing all that much, despite the new title. 

“It’s just a title,” said Willie Goldshine. “(It’s better to be) seen as a good manager and a good leader. Long term, my goal is to work as long as, if not longer than, my father. If I could be half as successful, (that’s success).”