Small businesses range from mom-and-pop corner convenience stores to high-tech startups run by computer geeks with dreams of becoming the next Microsoft Corporation. Small businesses can be organized as a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, or other legal entities.

If small businesses come in a variety of formats and offer different goods and services, some hard and fast rules do apply to the sector. To qualify as a small business, a firm must be independent and have fewer than 500 employees, states a March 2023 report from the Office of Advocacy with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

A federal agency, the SBA was established in 1953 to assist fledgling firms with loans, resources, and opportunities.

By the SBA’s definition, there are more than 33 million small businesses in the U.S., versus 20,868 large businesses. Over 80 percent of these small businesses (totalling 27.1 million firms) are one-person operations with no staff (“non-employer firms” as the SBA calls them). “Employer firms” by contrast do have paid staff, though usually not many of them. Roughly 5.4 million small businesses have “between one to 19 employees” while “only 647,921 businesses have a workforce size ranging from 20 to 499 employees,” states Forbes.com.

Small businesses punch above their economic weight class in terms of revenue, generating roughly 43.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in America. And, miniscule as their workforces might be, small businesses are also efficient job creators.

“From 1995 to 2021, small businesses created 17.3 million net new jobs, while large businesses created 10.3 million. Small businesses have accounted for 62.7 percent of net new job creation since 1995,” states the Office of Advocacy.

The advent of COVID, which became a pandemic in March 2020, briefly threw a wrench in the job creation capabilities of small business. Some 8.6 million job losses were recorded among small businesses in Q2 2020, “however, small business employment grew quickly after the COVID-19 recession,” states the Office of Advocacy. Over six million small business job gains were recorded in the months following the 2020 dip, adds the report.

In 2019, just under 20 percent of all employer firms were owned by minorities (this works out to roughly 1.1 million small businesses), states the Office of Advocacy. Of these minority-run firms, “6.2 percent were Hispanic-owned, 2.4 percent were Black-owned, 10.4 percent were Asian-owned, 0.5 percent were American Indian or Alaska Native-owned, and 0.1 percent were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander-owned,” reports the Office of Advocacy.

In terms of gender, men still predominate. Women owned approximately one fifth of all employer firms (amounting to 1.2 million companies) in 2019. When it comes to very small, one-person firms, however, things look considerably different. “Women owned about 10.9 million non-employer firms in 2018, or 42 percent of all non-employer firms, putting them closer to parity with men,” notes the Office of Advocacy.

Age-wise, plenty of elderly people own small businesses, compared with Millennials and other comparative youngsters. “According to Census Bureau data, the share of self-employed (incorporated or unincorporated) age 65 and over increased from 14.1 percent in 2013 to 17.1 percent in 2021, while those under age 30 had only a slight increase, from 7.1 percent to 8.1 percent. Over 9.4 percent of workers were self-employed by 2021,” states the Office of Advocacy.

In a piece posted online in late 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce identified five major challenges currently facing small business: inflation, access to credit, rising interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and hiring and retention.

Inflation is the current bugaboo among consumers, but its impact reaches far beyond shoppers grousing about the price of gas and groceries. When faced with cost increases, small business owners must raise prices (which hurts consumers) and/or cut expenses (which hurts the paid staff of the small business, and the business itself), notes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Small businesses usually have very thin profit margins and small reserves of capital, magnifying the effect of any price increases.

“Inflation disproportionately impacts small businesses, which have less leverage when it comes to buying power compared to their larger counterparts,” adds the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In a similar fashion, small businesses generally have a more difficult time getting access to credit than corporate behemoths.

“A survey [released in May 2023] by Goldman Sachs found that more than three-quarters of small business owners are concerned about their ability to access capital. ‘Just a year ago, 77 percent of respondents said they were confident about their access to capital. Now the tables have turned with the same percentage citing concern,’ reported the investment bank,” stated the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

In general, big banks are more receptive to pleas for cash or credit when they come from the CEO of a large corporation over, say, the owner of an independently run hot dog stand.

Rising interest rates remain a grave concern as well. Over three-quarters of small businesses say that, “rising interest rates are limiting their ability to raise capital or financing for their business. The spike is also stunting growth, as 50 percent of small businesses report that they have delayed plans to grow their business due to rising interest rates,” states the U.S Chamber of Commerce.

The lingering effects of the COVID pandemic continue to wreak havoc on established supply chains for all companies. A fifth of small businesses identified supply chain issues as a top concern, says the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Once again, the difference between big and small business comes into play: “While larger enterprises have found ways to work around blockages in their supply chains, small business owners don’t have the same financial flexibility,” notes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Some small businesses, like big corporations, have tried to ease supply chain disruptions by switching to domestic suppliers. While North American-based suppliers typically charge more than their offshore competitors, they don’t have to ship their wares across oceans and through congested ports.

Hiring and then retaining employees also remains tricky. Low overall unemployment in the United States means there’s a smaller pool of potential staff. Citing a Q3 2023 Small Business Index study, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said over half of small businesses found it “challenging to keep up with their employees’ salary expectations or demands,” while research from the Office of Advocacy backs up many of the Chamber of Commerce’s observations.

“In 2020, the most significant challenges for small business were hiring and supply chain challenges. 40.3 percent of firms were looking to hire employees and 24.2 percent sought to identify new supply chain options in April 2022,” states the Office of Advocacy.

All of these challenges underscore the risks inherent in running a small business.

Indeed, the failure rate for small business is high: “From 1994 to 2020, an average of 67.7 percent of new employer establishments survived at least two years. During the same period, the five-year survival rate was 48.9 percent, the ten-year survival rate was 33.7 percent, and the fifteen-year survival rate was 25.6 percent,” notes the Office of Advocacy.

In 2020, approximately 1.07 million small businesses were launched, and 1.02 million were permanently closed, adds the Office of Advocacy.

Given all this, why would anyone want to own and operate a small business?

Well, as it turns out, small business ownership has its upside too. Benefits include independence, power and control, flexibility, financial gains, and passion and creativity, states a piece last updated October 24, 2023, on the website of Business News Daily (a self-described online authority “for startup and early stage business owners”).

The independence factor is obvious: “When you own the business, you are the boss. You do not have to rely on others or discuss decisions with them. The independence that comes with entrepreneurship is great for those who like to work autonomously,” notes Business News Daily.

Power and control means the ability to set rules, hire or fire people, and establish the workplace culture—an ideal situation for entrepreneurs who chafe under the authority of a boss.

Flexibility refers to deciding your own hours. While stores and restaurants generally have to keep consistent, customer-oriented hours, other types of small businesses such as tech startups don’t face such constraints, and can work through the night and close up during daylight hours if they choose.

Financial gain might not always be obvious, but it’s worth noting that some massive corporations originated as tiny enterprises operating out of the owner’s garage or a back room in their house.

Finally, passion and creativity enable a small business owner to pursue their dreams.

There’s also the added bonus of knowing you are part of a vital economic sector. “While giants in technology and multinational corporations often capture the public’s attention, it’s small businesses that form the crux of the American economy,” notes Forbes.com.

The post Welcome to Small Business Month<p class="company">Celebrating the Success of Smaller Enterprises in America</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Started in California by Kevin and Jennifer Cole in 1999, Original Footwear Co. built its early reputation on its range of Original S.W.A.T.® tactical boots. Around 12 months later, the company acquired the ALTAMA® footwear brand. It also recently acquired shoe manufacturer CAPPS®, based in Virginia, which makes it the only Berry Compliant Oxford supplier to the military.

The company’s footwear is so popular that big orders arrive well in advance while the team builds non-stop to ensure that there is enough supply. The Cole family has done exceptionally well here, and while the company has been partially sold to another shareholder, two of the Coles’ three sons and their daughter-in-law are the next generation to continue the family legacy. Kevin and Jennifer also remain involved in the daily running of the company.

With attention to detail that is evident in everything it does, the company offers international shipping designed to suit all potential and existing customers. “We tried to find the best sweet spot for everybody because we know how expensive it is. We have dealers all over the world in free-trade-friendly zones,” explains Heather Roach, Director of Marketing.

The company has separate business-to-consumer and business-to-business websites to ensure all clients, retail and wholesale alike, enjoy a smooth purchasing experience. In addition, the company is researching the benefits of re-establishing a European warehouse to make long-distance shipping and supply faster for its customers abroad, which will increase its geographic footprint further. At present, its biggest customers are on home soil in the U.S. and in Australia.

Recognized for its integrity, innovation, and the durability of its shoes, Original Footwear Co. carries the ALTAMA®, Original S.W.A.T.®, and CAPPS® ranges. Altama has been in existence as a footwear brand since 1969, when they developed the hardwearing jungle boot that was the first of its kind to be used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. The Altama range remains the favorite for DOD-issued military boots.

“I would say Altama is our prestige line, even though the cross points with other lines are similar,” says Roach, pointing out that the boots’ use in rough military environments makes them “translate well into work and everyday use.” Of course, as the company provides to the DOD, the shoes sold to U.S. military branches are Berry Amendment Compliant, as every component is American-produced and sourced.

Based in Morristown, Tennessee with factories in Big Rapids, Michigan and elsewhere, Original Footwear Co.’s legendary Original S.W.A.T. first responder boots are also a favorite with the Spanish police force—quite the compliment from a country known for the quality of its handmade shoes.

And there is now a new favorite, and it is far above anything available in its class today. The comfortable Alpha Freedom Hands Free® boot means that hardworking people do not have to touch their shoes when getting off their shift.

These shoes are not zipped, laced, or tied. Instead—similar to Kizik sports shoes, from which the company purchased the technology—the first and the last time these shoes need to be touched is on the day of the fitting, and that is simply to ensure that the wearer has the ability to customize their fit. Following that, all the wearer does is press down on the next-generation polymer heel casing with the other foot and slide the foot in and out of the shoe in one easy movement.

Putting them on and taking them off is as easy as putting on slippers because the heel casing collapses as you put your foot into the shoe and springs back up when it is on. “You step in and out of the Alpha Freedom Hands Free in seconds,” Roach says.

These boots still come with the same quality specifications and specialty materials combined with leather to deliver a purpose-specific shoe that is smarter and more comfortable to wear when compared to the first responder and military personnel shoes of the past. The snug fit also adds much in the way of safety, as loose lace-up boots can cause injury to people who are required to snap into action at a moment’s notice—like firefighters waiting for emergency calls. “It’s really hard to run in an untied boot. Firefighters also have medical calls that they can wear the Alpha Freedom Hands Free for,” Roach adds.

The Alpha Freedom Hands Free is a superbly designed, everyday workhorse that looks as good hiking as it does behind a desk. After the collapsible heel casing, the next intelligent feature is a comfortable horn section in the back of the ankle support that removes the need for grabbing a shoehorn to get the boot on. It comes in black, in a three, six, or eight-inch-tall boot with the option of a steel toe cap and as the Coyote model, a golden-brown boot in six-inch and eight-inch options.

The design is groundbreaking in the level of safety and comfort it provides wearers, especially following COVID-19 and the public hygiene challenges people suddenly faced. For the first time, ordinary people could imagine how close to all sorts of contaminants and infections our civil protectors are in their line of duty every day of the year.

“Several years ago, we developed the side zipper in tactical boots to speed up response times, but this is going to blow that out of the water,” Roach says.

The company has another new offering in the wings as well. The ProTec six and eight-inch-tall range is what the company calls a price-point boot—a medium-price range, protective yet comfortable shoe that is every bit as tough and well-engineered as the company’s other tactical boots. Yet this has a sportier look, combining leather and polyester with built-in impact absorption to answer the need for running and other physical activities responders face on the job. As it happens, this boot is not quite on the market but already has a fan club.

There are more things to come later this year, too. The next big introduction will be the upgrade of the S.W.A.T. range’s Alpha Fury. The Alpha Fury 2.0 will offer new technology with enhanced rebound action in the innovative Ignite midsole and a considerable reduction of weight on an already extremely light boot series.

“We named the midsole Ignite because that’s exactly what it does; it ignites your performance,” says Roach. “Everyone always comments on how light the Alpha Fury was. So this is like holding nothing in your hand, which is a big deal.”

While the latest version looks much like the previous one, it weighs 12 percent less and promises to give wearers an even more athletic experience to add to the durable support it already offers. It features an improved type of Sandskin—a sprayed-on, highly abrasion-resistant material that keys into fabric to provide protection that outperforms leather in tests. Besides adding to the look of the shoes, this material also considerably enhances the lifespan.

Of course, the company’s original classic S.W.A.T. boots are still a favorite, especially amongst police officers. There are few moments on the job more enjoyable for Roach than when people come up to her to say hello and show her their trusty, beloved Original Footwear Co. boots that just keep going—sometimes for as long as a decade or more. Investing a bit more in footwear that lasts also reduces the impact on the environment in the long run as opposed to constantly discarding low-quality shoes.

In terms of its own environmental footprint, the company is conscious of keeping the waste it creates to a minimum. From cardboard boxes to other materials, everything is used optimally and recycled wherever possible. There is no unnecessary packaging or any other needless waste happening in the company’s facilities either, and it has also ensured that its fabrication outfits abroad are in countries like Cambodia and Vietnam, approved by the General Services Administration (GSA) under the United States Trade Agreements Act and, as such, take sustainability seriously.

“We try to be extremely transparent about where our boots are made, because it is something that matters to us. It’s an integrity note,” Roach says. In this way the company also reflects its commitment to longevity. “We have no intention of being a flash in the pan; we want to be here until the world is gone. We want to serve the people who serve the people.”

Beyond serving first responders and the protectors of national safety, the company also supports related charitable causes. “We are grateful for the people we are serving, so we want to bring them the best,” says Roach.

During the Kentucky floods in July last year, the company donated several pairs of good, B-grade boots to survivors as well as a stash of kids’ galoshes. It has also produced a unique, limited edition run of boots in aid of breast cancer research, of which a portion of the proceeds was donated to the American Cancer Society.

Other organizations that benefit from its support include Merging Vets and Players, started by company ambassador Nate Boyer, a Green Beret and former NFL player, together with his friend Jay Glazer. For those interested, the film MVP tells the story of the trials and tribulations that led to the foundation’s coming into being.

“We love working with them. Their goal is working with combat veterans and professional athletes who have moved out of their careers and are finding difficulty reintegrating into society without the uniform and sense of team,” Roach says of the crucial work the organization does, giving belonging and hope where it is needed.

The company’s support also goes to providing U.S. veterans with homes in the form of a five percent donation from every pair of camouflage shoes sold in November of each year to the U.S. VETS Foundation. It also has a close relationship with Boot Campaign, for which Original Footwear Co. custom designs a pair of boots for exclusive sale by the charity.

“We love Boot Campaign. It’s another veteran outreach initiative that is close to our hearts,” Roach says, highlighting that the company goes out of its way to also support first responders injured in the line of duty with fundraisers, merchandise, and more.

Blessed with a dedicated, goal-oriented team that Roach describes as running like a well-oiled machine, the company is full of praise for its people. “Our team cares about who we are serving, who we are building these shoes for. We want to do the best we can as quickly as we can,” she says.

Not a team to rest on its laurels, Original Footwear Co. has its aims firmly set on continued growth and innovation. It is just as well that this company is as strong as its products and is sure to stay at the forefront of tactical boot technology for years to come.

The post Serving the People Who Serve<p class="company">Original Footwear Co.</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

“Our snack is 100 percent natural and air dried… We naturally allow the moisture to go out of the meat and what you’re left with is pure lean and clean protein,” says Chris Boever, Chief Executive Officer of the Frisco, Texas-based firm.

Beef is misted in vinegar and then seasoned with dry rubs consisting of spices and other natural flavoring. The seasoned meat is not cooked but dried instead in a climate-controlled room at the company’s 50,000-square-foot, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified processing plant in Madill, Oklahoma. Once properly dried, the meat is cut into slabs, slices, or sticks and packaged in foil pouch bags. The beef is obtained from farms based around the plant and elsewhere.

Stryve offers three main brands: Stryve, Vacadillos, and Kalahari Snacks. Stryve—the company’s flagship brand—comes in original, hickory, and pepper flavors, among others. The Vacadillos brand features a Latin American influence as South and Central America have their own version of air-dried beef, called Carne Seca. Vacadillos snacks have a slightly higher fat content to enhance flavor and come in chipotle honey and habanero varieties. Kalahari Snacks are primarily sold in natural food channels.

According to Boever, Biltong contains 50 percent more protein than leading types of beef jerky, one of the prevailing dried meat snacks in the United States. Unlike Biltong, jerky is cooked and then injected with “water, broth, preservatives, and sugar as well,” he notes.

As one of the only commercial suppliers of beef Biltong in America, Stryve has been on a major growth curve. Its products can now be purchased online or on store shelves at Walmart, Albertsons, H-E-B, Whole Foods Market, Publix, Hy-Vee, Sprouts Farmers Market, Food City, Natural Grocers, CVS, Cub Foods, Wegmans, Love’s Travel Stops, Circle K, and other well-known retailers.

Within the convenience channel, the company counts the Army & Air Force Exchange Service as a key customer. The exchange operates stores, restaurants, and other facilities at military bases and stocks all three brands at its gas stations. The company’s wares are also becoming increasingly popular among people engaged in vigorous outdoor recreational activities like hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, or camping. This is understandable, given that the products weigh less but offer more protein than traditional jerky, says Boever. Stryve also sells Biltong slabs for use on charcuterie boards, a popular snacking and hosting option.

The company is constantly looking at potential new markets, including schools, correctional facilities, and even the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. government department that assists the public during natural disasters. High-protein, easily portable Stryve snacks might be a convenient way to provide sustenance to people displaced by fires, floods, and the like. That said, “Our priority right now is in retail,” Boever states. The goal is to expand into grocery stores and other retail spaces that probably have not sold a lot of beef Biltong in the past. To this end, strategic alliances have been forged.

“Acosta just came on as a partner in January of this year,” says Katie Brenner, Chief Customer Officer. “That shows you their belief in our growth as well. They don’t typically take on new partners that are as small as our company.”

The Acosta Group is a leading marketing and sales agency, and the partnership is expected to increase Stryve’s reach, distribution, and brand visibility.

The company primarily sells within the United States, although there are plans to expand into Canada and further afield, Brenner says.

Being a pioneer in the meat snack sector could be a huge selling point for the firm. While a few people in the U.S. might air-dry beef Biltong as a personal treat, Boever only knows of one other USDA-certified commercial operation in America that manufactures and sells such a product. It is smaller than Stryve and lacks the latter’s forward momentum, he says.

Stryve was founded in late 2017 by Ted Casey, Warren Pala, and two others. Pala, who hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, had grown up with beef Biltong and spent decades creating his own varieties of the snack.

Three of the four founders remain with the firm to this day. Casey is Chairman of the board, while Pala now serves as Stryve’s CBO or ‘chief biltong officer’ in charge of “research, quality, and innovation,” says Boever.

At first, the company sold directly to consumers online. A loyal following was built, but growth was uneven. The summer of 2022 marked the beginning of a transformation. Food sector professionals including Boever and Brenner came on board to add industry knowledge and experience to the founders’ zeal and enthusiasm. Stryve also slimmed down, from hundreds of workers to about 80 today, and its range of products was reduced.

“We had to get smaller to get bigger. We had so many different [stock keeping units], and we were in categories we shouldn’t have been in. We had a nutrition business, with pre-workout and post-workout [products] that really wasn’t our forte. We had to simplify the portfolio,” Boever recalls.

As part of the transformation, operating expenses were reduced and quality enhanced. Gaining USDA certification for meat processing required a lot of time, resources, and money—the company “had to go through lots of trials, and meat is expensive,” notes Boever—but is clearly a source of pride for Stryve staff.

The transformation entailed new packaging and positioning as well. Package design became more colorful, and new bags that “lock in freshness much better,” were introduced, he says.

Stryve also changed the wording on its packaging from Beef Biltong to ‘thinly sliced steak.’ It is an accurate descriptor and refers to a cut of meat that is immediately familiar to consumers. The steak focus has given rise to some snappy marketing slogans: ‘Eat steak, don’t be a jerky!’ for the Stryve brand; ‘Adios jerky, Hola steak!’ for Vacadillos; and ‘Hello Biltong, goodbye jerky!’ for Kalahari.

While the transformation involved reducing product numbers, the company maintains a pet food business built around human-grade, all-natural beef treats. Originally called Two Tails, this branch of the business is in the process of being revamped and renamed.

While it is possible to air-dry other meats, Stryve plans to stick with beef for now to avoid the risk of cross-contamination at its processing plant. Huge retrofits at the Madill facility would be required to introduce non-beef options in a risk-free fashion.

Stryve still offers online sales through its own channels and sites such as Amazon, where slabs of Biltong for charcuterie boards represent the top-selling online product. Internet sales, however, are only one portion of the firm’s current marketing efforts.

Promotion is handled through social media, digital and business-to-business marketing, and attendance at trade shows. At trade shows, Stryve promotes its products through the tried-and-true method of giving out free samples. Letting people taste its products is a good way to educate consumers who are probably unaware of beef Biltong.

Stryve, of course, is not solely focused on the bottom line. The company works with a charitable initiative called Folds of Honor that offers scholarships to families of lost or fallen soldiers or first responders. Since 2007, the organization has provided over 50,000 educational scholarships. “There are lots of veterans in the country. It’s a great way to give back and also to gain a lot of awareness for our product,” says Boever, who sits on the organization’s board of directors.

Going forward, there are plans to consolidate the core offerings and expand distribution, and Stryve officials are exuberant about the future of the firm.

“We want to help the category expand. We want to give the consumer the healthiest, best protein snacks that can be delivered. I want to exceed the expectations of our retail customers and bring more innovation and expansion to this category, to make America healthier and fitter,” says Boever.

“We have three of the fastest-growing brands in meat snacks throughout the United States, whether that’s in dollar sales, unit sales, or velocity, so it’s an incredible time. We have a lot of work to do but we’re excited about our future,” adds Brenner.

The post Beefing up Its Presence in the Meat Snack Sector<p class="company">Stryve Foods</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

At Big Country Raw, only the best ingredients and processes are used to produce a raw, frozen pet food that is highly nutritious and works to improve pets’ health, wellbeing and longevity, because as an extension of our families, they deserve the very best. And the best is even better when it’s affordable and accessible.

“As Canada’s leading frozen raw pet food brand, we’ve championed both affordability and accessibility while not compromising our commitment to the quality of our products,” explains Co-founder and Owner Geraldine Brouwer, which is one of the many reasons why Big Country Raw has become a leader in a market segment it helped to pioneer.

A recipe for success
For owners Geraldine and Rob Brouwer, Big Country Raw started as a personal journey to optimize pet health and became so much more than they ever bargained for. The couple who started out as Big Country Kennels began feeding their pups a raw diet in 2008 as a means of improving health and longevity, and it worked.

It worked so well, in fact, that through word of mouth, demand for their homemade raw food grew exponentially. By 2012, the company was formally established and operated out of the couple’s home kitchen until the demand for its products exceeded its capacity.

By 2019, an investment was made in a standalone 28,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility in Smithville, Ontario, where only a year later another 10,000 square feet of space would be added.

Simply put, the timing was right. As people were forced to stay home during the pandemic, pet ownership exploded, and these pet parents were increasingly moving away from ultra-processed, dried, shelf-stable foods in favor of healthier, fresher options for their furry companions. This shift, referred to as the humanization of pets, where pets are valued and cared for as family members, has vastly increased demand for the complete nutrition and unmatched quality of Big Country Raw’s offerings, which include raw frozen foods in addition to meal planning expertise.

For Brouwer, it makes sense. “We should be feeding fresher foods to our pets and making it accessible and affordable and convenient for people to access. Some of the great research that’s been done—like one of the latest studies that I love to speak about out of the University of Helsinki in partnership with DogRisk—suggests that even 20 percent fresh [food] is so impactful to your dog’s diet.”

The team at Big Country Raw includes a full-time pet nutrition expert who is responsible for formulating the recipes to ensure that the nutrition needs of the pets are fulfilled and that the brand is backed by certified expertise that can be trusted.

“Over the past 12 years, we’ve witnessed the transformation of the frozen raw category from niche to a mainstay in pet speciality stores nationwide,” says Brouwer. She says it has been a privilege to have played a role in revolutionizing pet nutrition for pet owners across the country.

From niche offering to market leaders
What sets Big Country Raw apart in an industry that is dominated by private equity firms is that it remains family-owned and operated by animal lovers who bring passion and purpose to the table and who believe wholeheartedly in the product they create.

“I think there has to be a passion for what you’re creating and for what you’re doing, and then you have to see a bigger purpose,” Brouwer notes, which includes nurturing the growth that comes through reinvestment and innovation.

This year, the company plans to nearly double its Smithville footprint with a 20,000-plus square foot addition of cold storage, crucial to meet the demands of the Canadian marketplace. It is no wonder that Big Country Raw has been on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies for two years running.

In addition to its Smithville operation, Big Country Raw has a distribution centre in Ottawa, Ontario to support the Quebec and East Coast markets, as well as a distribution centre in Calgary, Alberta to satisfy demand from the Western provinces. To date, the brand is carried by 1,400 specialty pet retailers and shows no signs of slowing down.

For Brouwer, innovation is an important part of the company’s success. “We are very focused on innovation as it’s the cornerstone of our growth strategy,” she says. “Our vision is to continue to offer quality without compromise and to continue to nurture the bond between pet and pet parent.” This commitment was recognized last year when Big Country Raw received the 2023 Pet Innovation Award for two categories: Product of the Year for Dog Food as well as Frozen/Raw.

Big Country Raw is also the first Canadian brand of raw pet food to complete an extended AAFCO feeding trial on puppies, kittens, and adult and senior dogs and cats to demonstrate that its products meet the nutritional needs of pets.

Supported by its exceptional commitment to food safety, which is backed by a HACCP score of 98 percent, as well as its relationships with the veterinary community, Big Country Raw continues to assert itself as a leader in the frozen/raw category of pet food in the Canadian market—and soon, beyond.

New horizons
Having conquered the Canadian market, Big Country Raw has its sights set on new geographic areas, including the United States, as well as the introduction of products in new market segments.

The company has released a new XL line, and as the name indicates, it offers bigger portions and greater overall value. With the same top-notch ingredients and the same commitment to quality, the company is making every effort to save its customers money at a time when inflationary struggles persist.

The Brouwers also understand that raw isn’t for everyone, so they have created other options under the Big Country Pet Company banner, intended to bring health and wellness to pets without having to make the full conversion to raw.

“The Big Country Raw brand embodies the raw food, the fresh foods, and we wanted to be very true to that. We also know that there’s a much wider plethora of options and products that pet parents are looking for and I think that they are looking for quality products and people that stand behind their products and create innovation,” says Brouwer.

Big Country Pet Company has thus launched Caravan, a frozen, gently cooked brand that appeals to pet parents who recognize the benefits of fresh foods but aren’t able to, or choose not to, feed their pets a fully raw diet. “Caravan is a product line extension; it’s still frozen, it’s minimally processed, and it’s a new customer segment, and we distribute from here in Smithville,” says Brouwer.

The recipe offers the highest percentage of meat at 80 percent, with the promise of no fillers and only four percent carbohydrates, making the line complete for dogs of all life stages. It also happens to be the lowest cost per serving of all gently cooked brands in the market.

Further to Big Country Raw and Caravan, Big Country Pet Company has other nutritious ways for pet parents to incorporate fresh foods into their pets’ meals via fresh toppers like raw fermented goats’ milk and quail eggs, and supplements from its Thrive line of all natural pet supplements in the form of oils, powders, and chews. And, for a little treat, there’s Frozen Goat, a line of yogurt “ice cream” that was launched in 2021 with three flavours. Each year new innovative options are added, including Cookies ‘n’ Cream in 2023 and Can’EH’dian Maple, which will be launching this May.

For pets and the environment
Looking ahead, with the Big Country name solidified in the market, the goal is to continue to educate the public about the benefits of feeding pets fresh ingredients and wholly nutritious meals, while overcoming the misconceptions related to safety and nutrition.

Brouwer acknowledges, “There is always a risk because it is raw food and not every household or every pet is the perfect candidate for raw foods, but in a lot of cases, for a healthy young dog and with taking the proper food safety steps in your own home, it’s very safe.”

Through its work, Big Country Raw is dedicated to improving health outcomes for pets as well as for people through a focus on environmental sustainability in its operations. From smaller efforts like maintaining local supply chains to custom packaging to reduce the amount of plastic needed, to large initiatives like the use of recycled air from the freezers to heat the floor of its Smithville facility, to solar-powered refrigeration units in its sprinter trucks and transports, sustainability is a priority for Big Country Raw.

“We’re heavily investing in making sure that all of the new buildings that we’re creating here at Big Country Raw are very carbon-friendly, so our new building is utilizing all sorts of energy-efficient methods to create the energy that we need to keep the food frozen,” explains Brouwer.

With initiatives like these, for the ever-discerning consumer who prioritizes quality, safety, and the environment, Big Country Raw and the other brands under the Big Country Pet Company umbrella are a sure bet, a brand that can be trusted to honour the relationship between pet families and their furry companions.

The post Made by Animal Lovers, for Animal Lovers (And Their Furry Companions)<p class="company">Big Country Raw</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

More than a simple trucking company, New Way provides clients with a number of services across the United States and Canada. These include Long Combination Vehicle (LCV), cross-docking and warehousing, yard shunting, single- and multi-temperature refrigerated, and heated and dry vans. And, through its subsidiary company, Link Intermodal Ltd., New Way extends to provide comprehensive logistics, intermodal transportation, and container storage/management services as well.

Link Intermodal
New Way launched its subsidiary Link Intermodal last year, offering customers a cost-effective solution for their storage needs. “We’ve enabled up to 70 percent savings for customers with this solution,” says Dilraj Brar, Director of Business Development. “We offer immediate pickup and drop-off service as well, providing customers with ease of access to their stored inventory when needed.”

Additionally, Link Intermodal has Reach Stackers with the ability to lift containers of all sizes and over 100 available containers. Its second container depot location, currently under construction in Calgary, will have even further increased container storage capacities.

New Way’s client base covers many sectors, from retail to mail/courier, fresh produce and foods, and general goods.

“We provide dedicated fleet solutions to our customers as per their needs,” comments Brar, “and we specialize in temperature-sensitive shipments with our new, well-maintained multi-temp units and trained drivers. We’re also a primary carrier serving the container drayage sector as well.”

Running on core values
To ensure customers enjoy the most efficient services, New Way continuously invests in the latest technology. Through these advanced solutions, clients are assured of the highest-quality shipment tracking and operational efficiencies available anywhere.

This commitment to customer service has been an integral part of New Way since it was founded in Calgary with a single truck by current CEO and CFO, Gurpreet Brar and Randhir Brar, in 2004. But the origins of New Way Trucking go farther back than that.

In 1993, company CEO and Founder Gurpreet Brar immigrated to Canada with his family with just $160 in his pocket. A passion for travelling saw Gurpreet become a professional trucker, driving across North America for over a decade and serving customers with honesty and dedication.

Gurpreet’s experience laid the foundation for what would become New Way Trucking. In 2006, Randhir Gurpreet’s younger brother joined the company as CFO and partner, bringing with him considerable expertise in finance.

“Under Gurpreet and Randhir’s leadership, New Way grew from one truck to a fleet of 500-plus trucks and is where it is today,” says Brar. “It was a proud, wholesome, and memorable moment in 2016 when New Way acquired its current Calgary head office terminal where Gurpreet first began his career as a truck driver in 1995.”

New Way has seen tremendous growth over the years, but its core values remain intact. Customer-driven excellence, organization and personal learning, valuing workforce members and partners, focus on the future, innovation, management by fact, focus on results, and creating value, integrity, and fairness are some of the most important core values New Way has maintained since day one.

A “Top Fleet Employer”
A great believer in Corporate Social Responsibility, New Way is dedicated to upholding an ethical and socially responsible business. This includes protecting people and the natural environment, supporting human rights, monitoring and reporting performance, and a commitment to sustainable development.

New Way’s reputation as a respected and caring company has seen the business honoured with several prestigious awards in recent years. These include the Top Fleet Employer award from Trucking HR Canada in 2023, and other Carrier of the Year awards and On-Time-Performance awards from many of its valued customers. “The Top Fleet Employer award from Trucking HR Canada recognizes our commitment to creating a positive workplace culture, investing in employee development and training, and maintaining high standards of HR practices,” says Brar.

“This award underscores our dedication to fostering a safe, inclusive, and supportive work environment for our team members,” he says. “Overall, these awards are a testament to New Way Trucking’s unwavering commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and operational excellence in the transportation industry. We attribute our success to our dedicated team, innovative practices, and relentless pursuit of excellence in all aspects of our operations.”

New Way Trucking values both professional skills and interpersonal qualities in its new hires. Professionally, the company seeks individuals with relevant transportation industry experience, such as knowledge of logistics and freight operations, along with strong organizational and problem-solving skills, essential for success in the company’s dynamic environment. Interpersonally, New Way looks for candidates with strong communication skills, ready to collaborate with diverse teams and build strong relationships with carriers and clients. “Adaptability, reliability, and a customer-centric mindset are valued traits in our team members,” says Brar.

New Way benefits
Working with New Way Trucking provides customers with many advantages that set the company apart in the transportation industry. These include reliable and timely deliveries, exceptional service, a diverse range of services, broad geographical coverage, a modern fleet and technology, and a commitment to sustainability.

On-time deliveries are prioritized by the company, and robust scheduling and routing processes are implemented to ensure timely shipments. With a comprehensive range of transportation services—FTL, LTL, expedited service, refrigerated service, LCV service, intermodal, drayage service, container storage, warehousing, and cross-docking or yard shunting—New Way has the capabilities to handle numerous and varied shipment requirements. And with its vast network of 14 terminals stretching coast to coast, the company helps customers with their logistics needs in any part of North America.

Along with exceptional, hassle-free customer service, the team at New Way is dedicated to safety and sustainability. All its vehicles are modern, scrupulously maintained, and feature the latest technology and safety features. This is a company imperative, ensuring the safety of cargo and drivers while optimizing fuel efficiency and reducing environmental impact.

“By investing in eco-friendly practices and technologies, we offer customers the opportunity to partner with a socially responsible transportation provider,” says Brar. “We prioritize open and transparent communication with our customers, providing regular updates on shipment status and addressing any concerns promptly. Our dedicated customer support team is available to assist customers at every step of the process.”

Taking technology to the limit
For New Way Trucking, reliability comes from decades of combined experience and technology.

Specialized software, GPS technology, and other advanced tools enable the company to optimize its operations, ensuring on-time deliveries. This commitment to remaining at the forefront of technological advancements allows New Way to track shipments in real time, anticipate potential delays, and proactively address any issues that may arise.

According to Brar, “Our dedicated team of professionals is highly trained and experienced, enabling them to efficiently manage logistics, streamline processes, and prioritize customer satisfaction.”

Of course, employee and public safety are always a priority. To ensure safety on the roads, the company’s investment in cutting-edge technologies includes specialized software and advanced artificial intelligence-driven systems, like forward-facing and in-cab cameras coupled with AI to detect instances of distracted driving.

These systems immediately alert New Way’s 24/7 Safety Team, allowing for immediate intervention if necessary. “We make substantial investments to guarantee that our employees work in the safest possible environment,” observes Brar. “Our dedication to safety and optimized operations focused on customer satisfaction reinforces our reputation as a reliable transportation partner.”

Milestone on the road
With 20 years in business, the team at New Way Trucking reflects on its journey with gratitude and pride, grateful to its many loyal clients and dedicated team members and looking forward to the future with excitement.

To commemorate this milestone, the company is planning customer appreciation events, employee recognition programs, and community outreach activities along with launching exclusive promotions and offers to show appreciation to everyone who has supported the business over the past two decades.

Says Brar, “It’s a time of celebration, reflection, and renewed commitment to delivering excellence in all that we do.”

The post On the Road to Greatness<p class="company">New Way Trucking</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Today, you can stroll through the quaint downtown and shop the locally owned businesses, indulge in the unique culinary scene, catch a Southeastern Conference football game, hike Chewacla State Park, or enjoy the many festivals and community events throughout the year. Underpinning this old-fashioned charm is a diverse and modern industrial sector that ensures the local economy continues to prosper.

This economic strength was invaluable during the pandemic. Business in Focus featured Auburn in 2020, in the midst of the crisis, and we checked back this month to learn how the city overcame the challenge and to hear the latest news and developments.

Auburn managed to “weather that storm because of the diversification of the industry sectors that we have here,” Amy Brabham, Director of Workforce Development, says of the COVID shutdown. While some industries did experience layoffs, others remained strong, keeping the local economy going.

“Our pharmaceutical manufacturing ramped up because of some contracts,” Brabham says. “So, while some people saw COVID really gut their workforce and their businesses, we actually did okay, and certainly, in the retail and commercial areas, with grocery and things like that, we actually were up… A really bad time ended up being fairly positive, and as we came out of that, we saw probably one of the quickest recoveries for our manufacturing sector across the state.”

Currently, Auburn is home to around 45 manufacturing companies, around half of which are in the automotive sector. City leaders have intentionally sought this strong industrial base, which has been a critical factor in Auburn’s economic success.

“You’d be shocked how many people live in the community [who] don’t realize the size of the manufacturing base we have here,” says Economic Development Director, Phillip Dunlap. “You’ve heard the adage, ‘I don’t want to be in a town with industry,’ and yet, we’ve been able to recruit a solid base of technology-based companies and not materially affect the lifestyle and quality that we have as a university community. That’s not an accident. We work really hard at trying to do that.”

The recently released governor’s report highlights the success of this strategy. “Lee County, which is Auburn and [the neighboring city of] Opelika, actually led the state in the amount of capital investment and the number of jobs created,” Dunlap says. “We were number one in this year’s governor’s report. Our county did a little over $689 million in capital investment, which is pretty significant.”

Auburn’s contribution to that figure included seven expansions and one new location. “We’ve been consistent for the last few years, averaging between $200 million and $300 million in capital investment every year,” says Dunlap.

The City of Auburn is currently in the process of developing several parcels of land totaling close to 400 acres. Private landowners are getting involved as well.

“One thing that’s significant is that, for the first time, we also have some private sector individuals that are developing some privately owned land for potential industrial development,” Dunlap explains. “We now have some people willing to speculatively develop. They see Auburn as a place where things are happening, and so they’re willing to invest their property and develop some private location sites for industry.”

Workforce development is another critical focus. “In 2002, there was a decision made to focus on workforce,” Brabham says, “and, again, that was not an accident.” As with industrial diversification, city leaders recognized a need and put a plan into action. “That’s been a strong point for the City of Auburn for many years,” she says.

One of the city’s most recent efforts is the new career skills program to connect job-seeking veterans with local companies. “It’s a very specific relationship with those that are leaving [U.S Army Base] Fort Moore and our veteran population,” she explains. “We have an awful lot of veterans here—as many as nine to ten percent of our total population. Oftentimes, they just land here, but we wanted to have more intentional programs that recruit them.”

A significant workforce development initiative that has already proven successful began with an analysis of the local workforce to identify what skill sets were lacking, followed by the creation of a training program to fill in the gaps. In a public-private partnership, the City of Auburn’s Industrial Development Board worked with Auburn University’s College of Engineering Integrated Center for Advanced Manufacturing Systems to create the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center.

“We partner in that facility to help business and industry upskill their individuals and help students gain good hands-on skills with machines,” Brabham says. Funded by a $20 million Department of Defense grant, the program ensures that current and future employees will be able “to bid good contracts and to be prepared for the workforce.”

The City of Auburn has a long and mutually beneficial history of partnering with Auburn University, and that relationship is stronger than ever. “For instance, we are now moving toward partnering with them on knowledge-based recruitment, knowledge-based companies,” Dunlap says. “We’re doing a lot of work together. We have several top administrators at the university that are involved in our various boards, including industrial recruiting, commercial development… We’re in solid alignment together and I think that is a significant point.”

“The number one business for us is education,” he continues. “This is a university community, with Auburn being located here, and you can see that it permeates throughout the community. We have outstanding public schools. There’s a major commitment to local funding of the public schools.”

The municipality gave the public schools close to $24 million in funding last year, in addition to the funding already received directly from the state. “This makes us a class by ourselves in the state of Alabama,” he says.

This generous funding is advantageous for both the schools and the community as a whole. “You’re really supporting everything about community development,” Dunlap says. “You’re supporting subdivision growth because people want to live in your community, particularly younger couples who put their kids in your schools.” But this also includes childfree adults and retirees who “want to see programs associated with the university, and so, they’re generally supportive of our schools. That is a strong positive.”

The domino effect from robust school funding has led to a number of quality-of-life investments. “We’re building new parks and then [recreational] centers,” Dunlap says. “For our new Little League, new softball and baseball complexes are on the drawing board. All these things are to enhance quality of life issues, because you can’t have great public schools unless you have a strong residential community and a strong retail and commercial community, and all those things follow on to what we’re trying to do to encourage the right kind of growth and development in Auburn.”

Amy Brabham is a prime example of the community’s appeal to both young and established professionals. After graduating from Auburn University and moving to another city to work, she has returned to the City of Auburn—this time, to stay. “People always want to go to the places that are doing new and good things, and that’s really part of the reason that I was interested in coming back,” she says.

Now, she is helping to bring others to the community. “We have a three-pronged approach: it’s talent attraction, talent retention, and workforce pipeline building, and part of that talent attraction is young professionals. While we have wonderful sectors of our community, we don’t ever want to forget that we need to keep that young professional, either straight out of school—they land here and they stay here—or they come back within a three-to-five-year period, and we’re very specifically targeting that group.”

With a distinguished university and top public schools, a warm and welcoming local culture, and an ongoing commitment to quality-of-life projects, the City of Auburn will have no trouble attracting new residents—or keeping the ones who have already settled there. After all, the quaint but forward-thinking community is the loveliest village on the plains.

The post The Loveliest Village on the Plains<p class="company">City of Auburn, Alabama</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

That’s because they truly want to invite non-Indigenous people into their community and share experiences, as Jamie Thomas, Director of Culture and Tourism for Lennox Island First Nation, tells us. “There seems to be a misconception among some non-Indigenous people who think they wouldn’t be allowed to come into a First Nations community, and that notion is something we are working to change, and something Amanda and I have talked about.”

We enjoy a wide-ranging conversation with Thomas, who in addition to her culture and tourism role, serves on the national board of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada and is the Business & Partnership Development Manager with the MCPEI – Skills Partnership Fund for the Lennox Island First Nation, and Amanda Barlow, Interim Executive Director for North Cape Coastal Tourism Area Partnership (NCCTAP), which is a member of the Tourism Association of Canada (TIAC) and partners with Lennox Island First Nation.

Working together
A recurrent theme in our conversation is the importance of working together. Barlow speaks about partnerships NCCTAP has formed with over 100 members who provide accommodation, experiences, restaurants, entertainment, and “anything to do with tourists coming to the western side of PEI; from Summerside on the Northumberland Strait to Lennox Island in Malpeque Bay—linked via a causeway—and to North Cape on the northwest tip.

“We welcome people from everywhere, from Souris on the east coast of the island, from anywhere in Canada, or from around the world, which includes international tourists arriving on cruise ships.”

The traditional tourist season opens on the Victoria Day weekend in May, with plenty of activities around the beautiful beaches on each side of the region. There is the Keep it Canadian Dinner Theatre, daily free entertainment, and an impressive concert series lined up at the Stompin’ Tom Centre, (named for the iconic singer, Stompin’ Tom Connors) in Skinner’s Pond.

There’s the Village Musicale Acadien in Abram Village, and a unique opportunity to learn about the province’s Indigenous people on Lennox Island.

There are also activities in the off-season. The Mill River Resort offers cross-country skiing, skating, and horse-drawn sleigh rides and has the capacity to host conferences. New this winter will be an ATV tourism product, the result of a partnership with the ATV Federation, which has connected existing trails.

And in October, the area will host five Fall Flavours events, part of an island-wide culinary festival which includes 26 events. One large event, featuring oysters and the best that local craft breweries and live entertainment have to offer, has drawn up to 300 people to Tyne Valley every year for the past three years.

The fall flavours of Lennox Island First Nation
Last October, for the first time, Lennox Island First Nation’s Culture Centre hosted a Fall Flavours event featuring local Indigenous cuisine.

“We dug large fire pits, four by four, and brought up lobster from the holding tanks at the wharf so the chefs could cook them over an open fire,” Thomas recalls. “We served sweetgrass steamed mussels, a quail dish, salmon, root vegetables, a dessert component, and bannock. And we incorporated culture, with a group doing a welcoming performance in what is truly a shore-to-table experience.”

Long before English settlers named the island Prince Edward Island, and before the Acadians called it Isle St-Jean, it was known as Abeqweit, “the land cradled on the waves,” with archaeological evidence of Indigenous civilization dating back 15,000 years.

Measuring 540 hectares, Lennox Island, just off the coast, was originally known as L’nui Minegoo, “people’s island,” until surveyor Samuel Holland renamed it. It was one of the earliest reservations in Canada and in 1870 became the first reservation owned by the people living on it. Today there are 1056 band members, with 450 living on the island and the rest off-reserve.

Eight years ago, Thomas accepted a six-month position here with two tasks—one to run the annual Powwow, or Mawio’mi Festival as it was originally known in eastern Canada, and the other to re-open a cultural centre in what was once the home of the island’s priest, built in 1904, and later managed by Parks Canada.

“The centre was originally set up in dark green with interpretive panels, and people could walk through and learn from what they read,” she shares, “but we changed it to make it interactive with pictures and artefacts and with one room focused on the residential schools, and we also wanted to focus on authentic experiences. I went to a meeting about food security and sustainability and overheard two Elders talking about how their mothers and aunties made bannock, but they had to do it in secret because they weren’t allowed to do anything connected with our culture.”

That conversation led to “Bannock and Clams in the Sand,” a well-received experiential tourist activity. Now the Culture Centre offers two more experiences: “The Beat of the Drum,” in which participants create their own handheld drum to take home, and “Quill Work on Birch Bark,” in which participants use birch bark, porcupine quills, and sweetgrass to create a piece of art while listening to stories and teachings passed down through the generations.

In partnership
“Partnerships are important,” says Thomas. “Because I work with Amanda, we were able to host a group tour with Adventure Canada, a cruise company that came into Summerside in 2017, by setting up rotating stations for a variety of cultural aspects and food. That company came back in 2022 and although this time they docked in Charlottetown, they brought three busloads to Lennox Island, so now we have a strong relationship with them and we’re able to offer group experiences and adventures. We also collaborate with other companies and customize experiences for them.”

For the past 145 years, St. Anne’s Sunday, the longest-running festival in PEI, has been observed at the end of July, in addition to National Indigenous People’s Day on June 21 and the annual Mawio’mi Festival in late August, all intended to attract people to celebrate together. “In 2023 we had Morgan Toney from Nova Scotia coming to perform. We’ve partnered with a concert series from Mount Carmel, and we continue to partner as much as we can to bring people in and make visitors feel welcome.”

Lennox Island First Nation’s cultural tourism initiative reaches far beyond the shores of Lennox Island, however, with Thomas reaching out to other organizations and Indigenous entrepreneurs.

“We have been marketing our experiences at events like Rendez-vous Canada,” she says. This annual signature event for the tourism industry rotates through all provinces and territories, with the 2024 event set for Edmonton, Alberta.

“We’ve found that a lot of people are interested in learning about Indigenous culture, so we’ve created a learning series and we conduct cultural awareness sessions with different groups, government agencies, or non-profits, with presentations around tough topics, things people don’t talk about,” she says. She goes on to note that when dealing with those difficult subjects, she makes every effort to make people feel comfortable in a safe space. “Following the presentation, we debrief while engaged in hands-on learning where participants create their own beaded lanyard.” She has also offered a program on Indigenous tourism for the Tourism Association of PEI around the idea of working together and “enhancing relationships with others.”

Since most tourists will come to Charlottetown, it makes sense to engage with them there. To that end, a storefront operation, Indigenous PEI, just opened, “after we went through the entire province and sourced products from Indigenous artists.”

Previously, as many as 50 of these artists had been regular exhibitors at the annual Christmas Market, but now they have a permanent place to sell their products. Among them are entrepreneur Jimmy Bernard, who has a basket-weaving shop on Lennox Island where he pounds ash branches to create baskets, and Melissa Peter-Paul, from Abegweit First Nation, the only other First Nation on the island.

Melissa Peter-Paul’s exquisite quill work has received wide recognition. Most recently it received a prestigious award from the 2023 Atlantic Indigenous Tourism Summit held in Newfoundland and Labrador, while Nike has sought her skill in designing a logo.

Tourists in Charlottetown may also encounter Julie Pelletier Lush, author and PEI’s former Poet Laureate, who with her son and an amazing group of young people has created a troupe of Mi’kmaq heritage actors who do daily lunchtime performances during the summer.

Unique experiences
Meanwhile, back on Lennox Island, Thomas is working with other Mi’kmaq entrepreneurs to incorporate their products into a local traditional harvesting experience for tourists: lobster, oysters, and mussels grown on the island’s reefs, and produce from the massive blueberry fields and the community’s organic gardens.

“They all work together to enhance the experience,” Thomas says, “and while our guests are enjoying oysters cooked over the open fire or are sitting down to eat a freshly harvested salad from our organic garden, we talk about our philosophy of sustainability and not taking more than you need. We talk about what we ate traditionally and how vegetables in the Three Sisters Garden—squash, beans, and corn—support each other; how we bottle lobster for winter; and the importance and sacredness of our medicines: sage, cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco. It’s all-encompassing.”

Concludes Barlow: “Amazing things are happening on Lennox Island! Pjila’si!”

The post Pjila’si! – The Perfect Invitation to any Traveller<p class="company">North Cape Coastal Drive</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Momentive is a global producer of silicone chemicals, derivatives, intermediates, and final silicone products that go into the full formulation of an article; essentially, “we own the whole silicone value chain,” Yiagopoulos says.

Momentive is a global, decentralized organization, employing around 5000 people across 40 locations, and has a presence in over 20 vertical markets including automotive, consumer electronics, agriculture, health care, and more. The core of Momentive’s identity is creating materials that are game-changing for the final applications they are used in. This philosophy is filtered through the lens of sustainability and the company’s processes involve helping its customers develop solutions and drive a more sustainable world by doing so.

The company’s focus on sustainable solutions has expanded industry-wide in the last couple of years, which has caused Momentive to better understand how the ecosystem is evolving, what the regulatory framework of sustainability is, and how people generally view chemical companies in that context. “Our goal is to understand the needs of the market now and how it evolves, and to design products for the present market and the future,” Yiagopoulos says.

To this end, Momentive focuses on the vertical markets it is active in and the needs of its customers within; for example, Momentive sells in three different areas of personal care, including skin care, hair care, and color cosmetics. The company is also deep into providing thermal protection for electronics, such as its silicone gap filler, which allows for control and protective flow of heat that doesn’t impact battery or performance.

Momentive also provides applications that drive sustainability in the marketplace, like its proprietary NXT Silane tire, the only sulfur-silane solution available that can contribute to significant fuel efficiency. Momentive even produces hardcoated products, including those that enable car manufacturers to replace metal parts with polycarbonate or plastic parts coated with its own AS4700 thermal product, allowing for exceptional abrasion and weather resistance and reducing the weight of an electric vehicle and its energy usage.

Currently, some of Momentive’s peers in the chemical space are focused more on producing large-scale silicone intermediates, while others are deliberately focused on specific vertical markets and application development instead of materials. Momentive is a material solutions provider and is in the unique position of providing those solutions with the knowledge of the application and the design of the material. The company’s uniqueness lies in understanding an application, going backwards into the silicone chemistry to design materials for that application, and delivering for its customers in a way that is sustainable and profitable for everyone.

At Momentive, sustainability isn’t just something that drives the customer-facing practices of the business; it has also impacted the company’s internal development. Momentive has refined a number of its internal practices with respect to management systems and sustainability, looking further into product lines that support sustainability and procuring biodegradable materials or those coming from natural sources.

As roughly 22 percent of its sales are in the automotive industry, Momentive has consciously shifted in product development toward aligning with the electrification of transportation. It has also shifted its focus to products that are aligned to the needs of the battery industry globally; products targeting the need to reduce the waste and weight of vehicles; and products that protect surfaces in vehicles and allow autonomous driving.

As the company is a true force within the chemical industry, it makes a strong commitment at all levels of the organization to safety and passing that safety on to customers. Yiagopoulos explains that Momentive has a fundamental position in the chemical industry that every injury or risk is preventable, so the team has undertaken a series of safety initiatives related to occupational safety and product and plant design. Specifically, from a design perspective, Momentive aims to embed the thinking of hazard-free design into its products and understands the need to create an environment where process design is inherently safe.

The team makes an equally significant commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which Yiagopoulos says is very important to him personally because of the number of studies that highlight the link between creativity, diversity, and innovation. To achieve this, Momentive focuses on people, communication, and environment within the context of treating its employees equitably. The company gives everyone the ability to understand their own needs and to forge a personal development plan and fulfilling career path. This approach pairs well with the company’s stance on gender diversity, which has been a persistent issue in the chemical industry. Momentive has programs aimed at creating a gender-diverse population at all levels of the organization, a process that is seeing good progress.

From Momentive’s standpoint, Yiagopoulos sees the chemical industry as progressing strongly along a framework of sustainability. In the future, silicones will be the material of choice in certain vertical markets as other materials simply cannot provide the same level of longevity, performance, and integrity of devices. The industry is moving in these directions, so Momentive, always agile, will grow its presence in markets where durable silicone is required.

Yiagopoulos tells us that 2023 was a challenging year for the business, as the market was volatile, seeing a drop in demand for both specialty and commodity products. 2024, however, is being seen as a bounce-back year for Momentive, wherein it will continue to strengthen its innovation pipeline and transform its asset positioning. The company will be investing in itself, further modernizing its assets and facilities around the world.

Momentive will also see key expansions into areas of Asia like Japan and Korea, with lots of potential to penetrate these specific markets with its products. Momentive will also revisit spaces where it can have a strong position in the marketplace, like the battery and vehicle electrification spaces. Institutional markets will continue to transition, so Momentive will strive to understand its position within it, with the overall question being what its future as a pure silicone player is.

Yiagopoulos says that the key element to sustainability is that it’s not about a singular product; it’s about the way the company treats its people, the systems it establishes, and the value it places on safety, integrity, and inclusion. Sustainability will push everyone in the industry into a new operating model, so Momentive is re-thinking its processes with respect to product design, recycling, and reuse of materials, in a circular manner instead of a linear one.

“We are the stewards of sustainability,” Yiagopoulos says, and thus the Momentive product suite will continue to have a place in helping others forge their own paths to sustainability.

The post The Stewards of Sustainability<p class="company">Momentive Performance Materials</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

Offering a unique approach with a focus on energy-efficient facility operations, the family-owned company simplifies managing HVAC projects, design-build projects, and maintenance tasks, to name a few, with precision, care, and commitment to quality.

“My grandfather started the business out of the basement of his house in 1951,” says Todd Albrecht, owner and CEO. “He wasn’t an engineer by education, but he had a lot of skills that would lend themselves to engineering.”

This was during a time when homes still burned coal as the primary fuel for heating, but the conversion to natural gas was emerging.

“We started in that residential world and eventually worked our way after about a decade into the commercial construction business. From there, we splintered out and grew. But we’ve been family-owned and operated the entire time we’ve been in business which is pretty cool.”

Family values
Owning and keeping the business in the family has strongly contributed to the company’s success, he says. “My dad always says one of the greatest compliments anybody can pay me is the employees wanting their sons or daughters working here,” Todd says. For Perfection Group, that’s exactly the case. “It’s not just our family’s history here; we have lots of family members that are non-Albrechts working here,” greatly contributing to the overall culture.

“It’s unique, and it works really well for us,” he says. “It’s about commitment and longevity and having that history with people and their families.”

Everyone comes together like a family to uphold Perfection Group’s newly rebranded mission and vision, which has allowed the company to focus on the purpose of its work, much of which involves sustainability and educating clients about efficiency.

A new purpose
“We’re going after the savings,” Todd says. “30 percent of all the utilities that go to power buildings is wasted. A lot of the time we lead with those types of messages when we talk to building owners.” And more and more businesses are responding favorably and looking to embrace going green.

“Since we’ve shifted our talk-track focus to this higher purpose, going after the savings and the big problem of wasted energy out there in the world, it has completely changed the conversation in a very positive way. People connect to that bigger purpose and it’s making a huge difference.”

Todd’s brother John Albrecht, owner and COO, adds that the company’s energy side of the business works to save money for people in kilowatt hours and gas. “That’s a big saving for the Earth part because of our ESCOs (Energy Saving Companies) business.”

Perfection Group also stands out for its varied capabilities that include service, regular maintenance, construction, green solutions, energy savings, and performance contract work.

“It’s pretty unusual to have all that under one company,” says John. “We can build a building from the ground up brand new, we can service that building for the life of it, and then we can replace all the equipment with new energy-efficient equipment 20 years later, and you’ll deal with just one company.”

While there are service companies, construction companies, and ESCOs, rarely is all that covered in just one company. “We like to say we can take care of everything from cradle to grave, from the beginning to the end,” John says.

Sustainability and “going green” have also proven to be a good fit with Perfection Group’s clients, especially as more clients grasp their benefits. “Government, schools, cities, and counties embrace it first because they have a longer horizon for a payback threshold, and they’re more willing to accept that eight- or ten-year payback.”

Making a difference
Perfection Group is making a difference in a variety of projects.

One such is Utica Elementary School in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where the company modernized the school’s HVAC systems to improve ventilation, air quality, energy efficiency, comfort, and the learning environment while reducing operating costs. Funding came largely from federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funding (ESSER) and a bond issuance.

There is also the Boyle County Fiscal Court in Danville, Kentucky, one of the company’s numerous projects in the area, where it covered upgrades to six facilities.

The energy conservation measures included installation of an energy-efficient multi-zone Variable Refrigerant Flow system at the courthouse, gas-fired generators at the courthouse and jail, and the replacement of 22 roof-mounted package HVAC units at the jail with high-efficiency rooftop units.

The new rooftop units utilized economizers and environmentally friendly R-410A refrigerant. All of these measures brought guaranteed savings of $549,943 annually.

“On the private business side, the number one focus is still, ‘what’s the payback?’ The environmental impact is further down the list of what’s important, but this will change as the technologies get better and the prices get cheaper,” John says.

This commitment to making a difference—not only in people’s everyday lives but in the world—is what drives the company, says Andrew Apro, President of the Green Solutions Group.

“Fundamentally, for the longest time, the company had a culture of sales, and that would drive revenue,” he says. That was important, as the group was selling more efficient equipment, lighting retrofits, and green roofs, and for a long time, it was of financial benefit not only to the employee but also to the organization.

Changing our world
“Now,” he says, “we’ve changed our mission, our vision, our values, and our purpose, and I think we truly believe a well-managed building can change our world, not only because of financial benefit and because our customers save money, but because it has a direct impact on the environment we live in.”

It can be as simple as changing the filters at the office building for better ventilation, Andrew adds. While large, comprehensive energy projects are vital, the simple things, from maintenance to a roof replacement to changing lightbulbs, can make a true difference in the company.

“We’ve changed so much over the years, all of it for the better,” says Andrew. “We’ve become more diverse, but we haven’t lost that touch. Even though John and Todd are the leaders, they understand it’s critically important to feel that way because we then convey that to our customers. It makes for a better all-around experience for the end user who is our client, and also for the world we’re serving, through sustainability.”

The future also looks bright for a company striving to make a difference. As a younger, more idealistic generation enters the workforce, their principles and beliefs seem to align more directly with companies like Perfection Group.

Youth on a mission
“Some of the younger talent we are interviewing and looking to bring on to our company have their own mission,” says Andrew. “They want to do something impactful beyond the paycheck. And it’s a fantastic industry because we can help a client in a lot of ways, and provide an environmental benefit.”

This passion for serving clients while making a difference in the world is one that Andrew deeply understands. Working on the energy side of the business, his main focus is helping clients reduce their consumption, overhead, and operating costs, and modernize and fix all buildings to make them as healthy and sustainable as possible.

“We’re proud of the work we do in the educational environment, both the K-12 level and higher ed, because we believe those are spaces that need to be efficient; they need to be healthy buildings,” he says. “And we have to balance that efficiency, that comfort, and that health. Those three things are critical to any building, whether commercial, restaurant, or school.”

Andrew notes that many of the school and office buildings the company goes into have hardly any fresh air coming in. “Our focus is designing to enhance that. We need outdoor air. One, it’s good for efficiency, and two, it’s good for health, which is critically important. We’ve opened many people’s eyes to building health and sick building syndrome. It’s not only been great for our business, but it’s also been super impactful on our mission.”

The meaning of work
And that mission is one Perfection Group aims to instill in all employees, both current and future.

“The vast majority of the people we hire are skilled labor,” says Todd. “We’re trying to get that group to understand that the work is more than just hanging sheet metal or doing maintenance on rooftop units. There’s something bigger you’re doing here, and you need to understand the impact you’re having on the world. And that message is resonating.”

It’s a message that’s been entwined in the company’s DNA from the very beginning: a focus on making facilities more efficient that has powered the company’s sense of purpose.

“We believe a well-managed facility can transform our world,” he adds. “By making those facilities more efficient, making them run better, seeing the energy savings reduce operating costs, we’re not only improving the customer’s bottom line, but we’re also improving the world we live in.”

While understanding efficiency is the name of the game, there’s no sacrificing comfort, he says. It’s a fine balancing act.

“When we go in and evaluate these facilities, we look for savings, but we also have to balance people’s comfort and the building’s health. We understand that kind of holistic picture. We like to think comfort, efficiency, and health, and how they are three concentric circles. And our job is to hit the target right in the middle where those three circles combine.”

The post Transforming the World One Building at a Time<p class="company">Perfection Group</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.

As a supplier with a product portfolio boasting more than 700 packaging components and filling array units, the company is a go-to solutions provider for discerning fabricators from around 50 countries—all packers of liquid products demanding specialty packaging arrays to suit their unique product characteristics and facility layouts.

Serving a diverse range of industries such as specialty chemicals, automotive, beauty, food, and beverage, the company has always been proud of the innovation it brings to market. With that undeniable sense of innovation providing the company with a distinct edge, it has made its mark on the local market since 1996, when it started selling pre-owned machinery.

Today, IFS is driven to fabricate quality systems dictated by the express process demands clients present during the ideation phase. Engineering its systems based on blueprints developed from those needs, the IFS team can spot potential issues and solve them before they become a problem.

Whatever the liquid filling application may be, IFS has the expertise to develop filling, packaging, and bottle transfer machinery that makes sense, alongside capping and other arrays to suit. Such applications include bottle cleaning systems, unscrambling machines for high-speed addition of bottles into filling arrays, turntables to feed conveyor belts with new, empty containers, and labeling machines—which can additionally be used for dry products. The company also supplies heat tunnels—machines that shrink-wrap plastic labeling onto containers.

Naturally, where there are systems, there is a need for integration, and to this end, the team offers fully automated integration alongside superb customer support.

While the company does collaborate with third-party fabricators when incorporating technology or systems not available in its offering, IFS is a proudly American fabricator that has historically gone to great lengths to keep its manufacturing and sourcing on American soil. In addition to supplying turnkey systems, it provides customers with premium machine maintenance and servicing—preferably long before anything breaks.

One of the more unexpected markets the company serves includes the funeral sector. Embalming liquid, of course, needs to be bottled, as do tombstone cleaners. Here, IFS provides larger systems to fill drums, barrels, buckets, bags-in-boxes, and boxes with whatever chemicals morgues and funeral parlors need.

Other industries served include adult personal care products, automotive cleaning chemicals, paint, agricultural chemicals, and more. There are also distillers like Devils River Whiskey and others who turn to IFS for long-life machinery. Committed to delivering proudly American excellence, IFS machines also carry the worldwide stamp of electrical safety, namely the Underwriters’ Laboratory (UL) mark, while using FDA-approved components as well.

Built to last, customers know that when they buy an IFS machine, they’re buying for the long haul. As a result, its list of longstanding customers is a testimony to the value of building lasting relationships based on mutual respect and integrity. It is also good for business, as happy customers typically refer more customers to great suppliers.

The company has always led with stability and has therefore kept its growth healthy yet conservative. By not approaching expansion with tremendously flashy growth spurts, it has led with a reputation for reliability and dependability. In this way, it also established a culture of continuity that results in long tenures, as employees enjoy the predictability and safety that come with job security. This continuity translates into a certain sense of familiarity for customers who benefit from working with a stable team over many years.

Cost and ease of ownership are two aspects carefully considered in all of the company’s engineering and design. Providing machines that are easy to clean, easily integrated into related systems, and, above all, easy to maintain—beyond being of outstanding quality—gives customers what they want, and customer satisfaction is, ultimately, this industry leader’s focus.

Despite insisting on keeping clients happy, however, IFS is not one to lull them into a sense of comfort for the mere sake of upholding the status quo. On the contrary, the team is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible, improving its already fine systems beyond present possibilities through continuous innovation. As such, it makes a point of keeping customers up to speed with new additions and technology that can improve their productivity, uptime, and overall experience.

As an industry leader, the company often partners with organizations supporting the industries it serves, such as Pack Expo, the American Distilling Institute, and the Petroleum Packaging Council. By partnering with trusted organizations, customers know they are in good hands. And, to further reassure and support them, the company is also openly committed to providing aftersales service solid enough to maximize uptime for its customers. “High-quality after-sales service begins long before a malfunction occurs. Inline Filling Systems guarantees efficient functioning without interruptions right from the beginning,” the company states on its website.

With the rising global awareness toward healthier living, we look forward to seeing how the company will continue innovating to meet this need in the market in terms of machines fit to handle novel, more complex packaging.

The post Liquid Excellence<p class="company">Inline Filling Systems</p> appeared first on Business In Focus Magazine.