Scoville Farms celebrates one-year anniversary

Scoville Farms, the manufacturer of Everidae Sauce, has just completed its first year of business.

"When we started, we really had no idea what to expect so we planned for the best and prepared for the worst," founder Dominic Sorenson says. "We are still a very small company trying to stand out amidst massive corporations. If it weren't for the support we received as a result of shopping local ideology, there's a good chance we wouldn't have made it this far."

Key milestones and "surprises" in the first year included a $20,000 investment from Start Garden and placement in the Michigan section at all Michigan Meijer stores.

"The Start Garden investment had a huge impact on the speed at which we were able to expand," Sorenson says. "The capital allowed us to increase the size of our production runs which lowered our costs. The investment also allowed us to create a marketing budget about a year earlier than planned." 

With a marketing budget, Sorenson says he immediately invested in new labels, website updates, and point of sale displays.

Although still a one-person operation, Sorenson does plan to add jobs when the time is right. "Deciding the right time to hire is a difficult thing and jumping too soon can leave you with a frustrated employee and cash flow problems. We do look forward to creating many jobs in the coming years and hope to keep Everidae as hand-made as possible."

For the short term, Sorenson is focusing on taking Everidae Sauce as far as possible without enlisting outside help with distribution. "We are currently expanding our reach into specialty stores in Grand Haven and Holland, and hope to add several more cities as we head east to Ann Arbor and Detroit. We've also teamed up with fellow Uptown Kitchen clients GR Bagel and Link Love, who are helping us show just how versatile Everidae sauce can be."

To learn more about Scoville Farms and Everidae Sauce, you can visit their site here.

Source: Dominic Sorenson, Scoville Sauce
Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor