HIRAM, Maine, Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- GrandyOats announced today that it has changed its name and that longtime co-owner Aaron Anker has taken over ownership of the 43-year-old granola company, based out of a solar-powered, renovated schoolhouse in Hiram, Maine.
"I'm excited to announce some substantial changes," said CEO Aaron Anker. "GrandyOats is now Grandy Organics; my longtime partner Nat Peirce has departed in order to pursue new adventures, and we're beginning to unveil a new line of compostable packaging." The company maintains a team of 32 employees, many of whom have worked at GrandyOats for over a decade, producing roughly 2 million pounds of roasted nuts, trail mix and granola each year from a sustainably powered building capable of offsetting 145,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
Anker assumes full ownership of the iconic natural foods company as he prepares to head to the nation's largest natural food show, Natural Products Expo West, which kicks off as a live event on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif.
"We're excited to be unveiling Grandy Organics and our newly branded packaging to our core retail customers," said Anker. "For the last decade, we've been evolving as a brand, expanding our offerings to things like roasted nuts, trail mixes and our top selling grain-free granola line, Coconola. It made sense to change our name to more accurately reflect our breadth, while giving us latitude to explore new possibilities."
At EXPO West, Anker will unveil the company's new name and new branded trade show booth to its wide customer base, which includes thousands of independent natural foods stores and co-ops from across the country and some of the nation's largest retailers, including Whole Foods, Hannaford, Wegmans, Market Basket, Publix, Mom's Organic Markets, and Sprouts.
A Return From COVID
GrandyOats has long been a top selling branded bulk provider across the nation. Yet, as retailers adjusted to a "touchless" pandemic world, closing down bulk food sections, the company took a financial hit. The Grandy team immediately sought ways to pivot to new business opportunities. They started selling more packed granolas; partnering with key online subscription box companies; increasing their food service distribution to the Midwest and the Southeast; and leaning into online direct-to-consumer sales.
Partnering with like minded online retailers that specialize in minimizing food waste provided a huge lift for the company. "These retailers had customers who were clamoring for healthy food, while our university and bulk business were shutting down or reducing capacity," recounts Anker. "We had healthy bulk products at our fingertips that we could repack for them."
Two years later, these partners remain core to the company's business, providing new channels of opportunity and sales. Retail bulk sections have reopened, just as customers are seeking ways to adapt to inflation and rising food costs. University dining halls have also reopened, giving Grandy Organics access to its faithful audience of young, health-and-sustainability-minded consumers.
"The pandemic was really challenging for us, but looking back, we ended up forging even stronger relationships with our retail partners as a result," says Anker. "We actually met more frequently with our retail customers, we collaborated more, we got creative, and we became a stronger company."
NEW Compostable Packaging Featured in Direct-to-Consumer
Direct-to-consumer online sales have become a key way for the company to serve its loyal customers while testing new ideas, notes Anker. Last year the company launched 'The Grandy Pantry' as a way for customers to purchase organic ingredients and larger bulk sizes directly from the company's website. At the same time, Grandy Organics Marketing Manager Evan Connolly headed up an effort to secure a sustainable packaging partner with the goal of offering products packed in compostable packaging.
"With the rebrand and the new name, it was logical to evaluate our packaging and seek more sustainable options," said Anker. "Evan was passionate about this challenge and we're really excited to be able to provide compostable packaging for our online customers for the first time ever." In the meantime, the company is assessing the viability of rolling out compostable packaging options for other business channels.
"We are testing the feasibility of the packaging across all retailers," said Anker. Since it is made from cellulose, the company must ensure it holds up through nationwide distribution, and will maintain well on shelves.
"The packaging is pretty amazing and adds another dimension of sustainability that our customers and our employees can feel good about," added Anker. "It can literally be composted in your backyard or commercially."
Changes in Leadership
As Anker takes over ownership of Grandy Organics and unveils the company's new name and brand look, he looks with gratitude to the past. "My 22-year partnership with Nat Peirce resulted in one of the most successful organic granola brands in the nation," said Anker. "I'm incredibly grateful for everything Nat did to build up the company and I'm happy he is following his passion into new pursuits."
For Pierce, who as longtime head of production has literally overseen millions of batches of granola, the timing was right for a change.
"It's been the honor of a lifetime to be at the helm of GrandyOats with Aaron for 22 years," said Peirce. "I could not be more proud of the work we've done to move organic granola, trail mixes, and nuts into the mainstream of American consciousness, and to model a sustainable way of doing business."
The leadership team now includes Aaron Anker as CEO, Kyle Gaither, Director of Sales, Liz Bullis HR and Admin Manager, and Tim O'Brien Director of Operations. The company will add additional key positions later this year.
ABOUT Grandy Organics
Since 1979, Grandy Organics has crafted small batches of organic granola, muesli, trail mix, roasted nuts, and hot cereals. Based in rural Maine, the bakery is solar powered, with 288 solar panels onsite generating enough clean, renewable energy to produce millions of pounds of granola and offset over 145,000 pounds of greenhouse gasses each year. With a mission of sourcing the most wholesome organic ingredients, Grandy Organics partners with local, and organic producers to create the taste that nature intended. The company received the U.S. Small Business Administration's 2019 Small Business Persons of the Year Award for Maine.
For more information and 'granola wisdoms' visit http://www.grandyorganics.com.
Grandy Organics is also on Instagram @grandyorganics and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandyOrganics/
Media Contact
Betta Stothart, Grandy Organics, 1 207-400-0015, [email protected]
Aaron Anker, Grandy Organics, 207-329-9190, [email protected]
SOURCE Grandy Organics
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