I’ve shared two of the stories I wrote this year for the Springfield Republican’s annual Outlook section on the region’s business and economy. One on Lili Dwight and the fire alarm app she is developing and one on Crooked Stick Pops of Easthampton.

Today’s blog features the third Outlook piece I wrote for editor Cynthia Simison; it’s on River Valley Co-op in Northampton. This market is a hot spot in the Valley, and its growth over the years has been tremendous. My housemate Craig Fear is a steadfast member and shopper, as are many of my friends.

It was a privilege to interview these leaders in the local food industry.

River Valley Co-op

Our Family Farms sold milk at the River Valley Co-op when the store first opened in April 2008, a time when small businesses in the country were struggling as a result of the Great Recession. “One of the owners of the local dairy cooperative came to our 2009 annual meeting,” said Rochelle Prunty, River Valley’s general manager since 2001. “They talked about how the economy hit them so hard.” She teared up with emotion, struggling to add, “But because the co-op opened, that’s what helped them get through it. They were able to keep their farm.”

Prunty is incredibly grateful about this kind of success story and the fact that the natural foods co-op has helped launch—and sustain—many other local farms. The business, which sells local and organic products, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018 with various events, including a birthday party in April 2018 and partial sponsorship of Easthampton’s Millpond.Live music series in the summer. 

Since it first incorporated in 1999 and began selling co-op ownership shares at $150 per—the same one-time fee for the privilege today—the co-op has grown to 10,200 owners and 160 employees, over 90 percent of whom are full time. It sees $28 million in annual sales—more than twice what was predicted by its founders. This is no small feat in a competitive market that has suffered from online sales and fierce industry competition.

“In 10 years, we’ve purchased $40 million in local products that have gone into the community,” Prunty said. “We’ve made contributions to local nonprofits every year, totaling over $800,000 in 10 years. It feels like a really symbiotic relationship with the community. Because we’re independent and community owned, we’re able to adapt and evolve as needed with the changing times.”

Prunty, board president Andrea Stanley—also a farmer in Hadley and the owner of Valley Malt—, and Natasha Latour, the co-op’s marketing manager, agree that the co-op’s overwhelming popularity and growth came because it meets the needs of Valley residents. “It’s never about making the sale or making the money,” Prunty said. “The food meets peoples’ needs. Supporting local farmers meets peoples’ values. And in the process, we build community.” 

“We’re set up to sell what people want to buy,” she added. “Corporate supermarkets are set up to sell what big manufacturers want people to buy.”

High volume at the co-op means the parking lot and the aisles are over-crowded. This has Prunty and the board looking to expand in Easthampton on property formerly owned by Fedor Pontiac Oldsmobile on Route 10. The co-op already has 1,700 owners in Easthampton, and the dealership property, sitting on over four acres of buildable land, seems ideal.

Prunty said co-op leaders are looking at the feasibility of building a roughly 20,000-square-foot grocery store, considering financing and building costs. “We’re looking to break ground in July 2019 and open in July 2020,” she said, adding, “This is not yet a done deal. We expect to finalize our plans, fundraising, and secure financing for a final decision by June of 2019.”

She said the projection is that the second location could bring in about $14 million in annual sales. “Easthampton is a community that supports local entrepreneurs. It’s incubating lots of different kinds of local businesses,” Prunty said. “That kind of thinking, and that kind of spirit has good synergy with what we do, and it feels like a good match.”

The post River Valley Co-op Expansion my Third Outlook Focus appeared first on Beetle Press.

One of my favorite aspects of writing for the Springfield Republican’s annual Outlook section is having the chance to meet and interview a wide range of business owners. I am always listening to see what I might learn from them and enjoy the chance to expand my own network of business leaders.

In addition to Lili Dwight, this year I also wrote about Julie Tuman and her business in Eastworks, Crooked Stick Pops. The day I interviewed Julie, I also bought three pops, which I have since devoured. I had chai, key lime, and orange creamsicle.

I recommend you check her out this spring and summer. She also visits area fairs and events. Be on the lookout for a woman on a cart that looks like a giant tricycle. That will be Julie!

Also, here’s a fun story that didn’t fit in the Outlook piece:

Julie named her business Crooked Stick Pops because, in the beginning, she had a great deal of difficulty getting the pop sticks to freeze in a straight position; she figured the name would make it seem intentional. She later purchased a machine that ensures straight positioning, but the name was already set in stone, so, she adjusted her machine. The sticks are indeed crooked!

Julie Tuman

Julie Tuman’s inspiration for her Crooked Stick Pops comes in part from her experience with mixing interesting cocktails as a pastime. Her sense of smell plays a big role as well. In the summer, she’s apt to be found walking around a farmer’s market, holding local peaches in her hand while sniffing other vendors’ wares for the right companion flavor. This is how Tuman landed on her peach and goat cheese pop last summer.

“I get bored easily. I can’t just do strawberry-lemonade,” Tuman said, noting that she uses her entire range of spices in her frozen treats, often incorporating clove, ginger and star anise, as well as herbs. Because she is creative—and her pairings work—Tuman said her customers have learned to trust her sensibilities.

Tuman’s three-year-old venture is mainly mobile spring through fall; she takes a cart to festivals, fairs and farmer’s markets. Ten months of the year, a shop in the Eastworks building of Easthampton—where Tuman also lives with her husband, William—supplements sales of pop, which contain ingredients from local farms. Flavors include Maple Pear, Blueberry Lavender, Strawberry Sriracha and Bourbon Caramel Peach.

At 41, Tuman finds herself in an entrepreneurial role that couldn’t be further from her academic studies or the first several decades of her career. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Asian history from Appalachian State University in North Carolina, and a master’s degree in Chinese from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Tuman previously worked for nonprofits that ensured compliance at overseas organizations. She was charged with ensuring these businesses were not violating human rights or labor laws. “The stakes were high,” she said. “If you made a mistake, a child could end up working in a fireworks factory.”

She later marketed organizations that provide international education and study-abroad opportunities for college students. She traveled a great deal and was experiencing burn-out after several organizations she worked for went through mergers and buy-outs.

In the fall of 2015, Tuman decided to launch her own business. Inspired by her love of cocktails, and a pop shop in St. Augustine, Florida, she landed on her idea to make frozen treats. She employs eight people as seasonal, part-time workers and runs her shop March through December. “I need January and February to recuperate,” she said. 

Tuman said what sets her wares apart is that they are fruit-based; she flash-freezes local produce in a commercial kitchen she operates in the nearby Keystone building and will not supplement with fruit from outside the region if she runs short. “Even pops in December are made from strawberries from Sunderland,” she said.

Selling at $3.50 each, 3 for $10, or 10 for $30, Tuman’s pops cost more than those one would buy in the grocery store. Hers, though, are low in sugar and do not contain water and artificial flavors. In addition to bad weather that keeps thirsty buyers away, helping customers understand the cost is one of the challenges she’s faced. Tuman said, “Great fruit makes great pops. Mediocre fruit makes mediocre pops, so I only get fruit when it’s in season and at its best.”

The post Creating a Pop Business appeared first on Beetle Press.

Each year, I have the privilege of interviewing local businessmen and women for the Springfield Republican’s Outlook section—an impressive, comprehensive, annual look at entrepreneurs and industry in Western Massachusetts.

My colleague Cynthia Simison, the managing editor and assistant to the publisher for print at the Republican, works tirelessly from October to February each year to get the section out. There are dozens of stories to read and edit and many pages to oversee in design and production. Cynthia is passionate about this region, and she’s meticulous in her effort to present a broad-scope look at the health of the region’s economic engine.

This year, Cynthia assigned me three stories, one on a person I had already met and interviewed for a client. Here is my story on Lili Dwight. I will share the others with you over time.

Lili Dwight

Lili has a background in IT, but she knows a lot about fire. She’s developing an app that allows people with intellectual disabilities and young children to run through frequent fire drills in their own homes, so they are ready in an emergency. She’s had to learn how to educate people on why they need her product. “You have two minutes to get out in a fire,” said Dwight. “The app trains the part of your brain that responds without thinking. For people with a cognitive impairment, it’s even more important.”

Dwight’s business is Galactic Smarties; it’s based in Deerfield, where she lives. The product she has been working on since fall 2016 is called FireGuide. It prompts young children and people with disabilities to conduct fire drills in their homes and also time each escape, track their progress over time and record feedback their parents can use to refine future drills.

Parents can schedule fire drills for the users and record a message that directs them, such as, “It’s time to do a fire drill. Press the orange hand if you need more time.” Users can ask for a five-minute delay or tell the app to postpone entirely. After a drill is completed, the user records a message for the parent, telling them what did or did not go well during the drill; parents use that feedback to further customize their pre-recorded instructions. 

Originally, Dwight intended to develop a product that would alert one to a fire and tell the user where it is and the best route to safety. After she took part in the Valley Venture Mentors accelerator program in 2017, she learned that her target audience would be better served by software that teaches children and people with disabilities how to escape. Her mentors led her through the process of gathering feedback from customers through interviews. “I also learned how to tell the story of the value of what I am doing,” Dwight added.

Dwight is now finalizing her product. At 62, she is living on her retirement savings as she works to raise money to market FireGuide. In the past year, she auditioned for television shows such as Shark Tank and HUBWeek with no success. Thanks to two friends, she has raised $100,000 against future equity in the product.

Fundraising has been the biggest challenge for Dwight. She said that’s because her product is designed for social impact. “Most venture capitalists want a 100 percent return,” she said. 

A subscription to use FireGuide will cost about $8 per month. For more information visit http://galacticsmarties.com/. To sign up to test an early release of the app, go to http://www.fireguide.us.

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