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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 31, 2019)
16 Wednesday, July 31, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Josie’s Best food is redefining gluten-free BUSINESSES: EDCO- sponsored event had a festive flair Continued from page 1 which provided some wel- come shade. Some the Bend attendees rode the red Bend Trolley to Sisters and back. Josie Johnson made her pitch for investors in her Josie9s Best Gluten Free Mixes (see related story page 17). Attendees then heard company updates from two other Sisters business and a keynote from Samuel Pyke of Hill Shadows Pictures (see related story, this page). Dan Stewart and Christine Funk shared the story of company founder and mas- ter luthier Preston Thompson who passed away in April. Six years ago Thompson was at an EDCO Pub Talk pitch- ing for investors. He had no building, and was crafting guitars in his home. In answer to his appeal, Craft3, a regional busi- ness that makes loans to businesses, families, and nonprofits in Oregon and Washington, and Mid-Oregon Credit Union stepped up and provided the loans that allowed Thompson to move into their present location on Main Avenue and hire arti- sans and craftspeople, which allowed Thompson to expand his business. They now have seven equity investors and a <woodshop on steroids,= according to Stewart. They recently completed a $37,000 Masterpiece gui- tar, a special version of the usual $17,000-$23,000 Masterpiece. Regular Thompson guitars start at about $4,000 and go up from there. They are handcrafted every step of the way by a nine-member crew who Stewart described as highly skilled, independent, and self-motivated. There are currently 60 guitars in pro- duction and 68 in the cue, waiting to get in the shop. Generally, a guitar will be in the cue for about five months, with production averaging four months. A Thompson guitar is a By Sue Stafford Correspondent PHOTO BY SUE STAFFORD Dan Stewart and Christine Funk shared the story of Preston Thompson Guitars at a gathering of business luminaries from across Central Oregon. special instrument with the vintage sound of the 1930s Martin D28, the gold stan- dard for sound. Peter Rowan, who will be in town for the 2019 Sisters Folk Festival, is one of Thompson9s custom- ers, as are a number of other well-known performers. Inlay specialist Sima Haycraft has just been hired to join the team and they are currently looking for a set-up person. Both Funk and Stewart issued multiple invitations to come for a visit and tour their workshop. <Come and watch. It9s a heck of a lot of fun,= Stewart told the audience. Jamie Eichman, chief operating officer for Laird Superfood, reported that the company is currently in a rapid growth phase since its founding in 2015 by the world-famous big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Sisters resident Paul Hodge, on vaca- tion in Hawaii, met Hamilton and that9s how they ended up in Sisters. The company9s motto is <Better Food Makes a Better World.= What began as Hamilton9s passion proj- ect to perfect his personal regimen grew into a dynamic, innovative brand with a mis- sion to bring clean, simple, and thoughtfully formulated superfoods to the masses. In 2018, the operation in Sisters had 37 employees. So far, in the first two quarters of 2019 they have hired an addi- tional 34. Most of the jobs are middle-wage positions. They are currently recruiting for a controller, customer ser- vice rep, and a project man- ager. Their second building is complete and they have purchased the rest of the land on Lundgren Mill Drive. <We are here in Sisters to create full-time, middle-wage jobs. We9re here to stay,= Eichman said. Laird Superfood prod- ucts are currently in a num- ber of grocery stores and in Costco in California and Hawaii. They are establish- ing distribution centers in a number of locations, with their first international cen- ter in Canada. They have started installing hot bever- age machines in a number of public places like hotel lob- bies and at 7-11. The Laird product line is growing rapidly, with one new product a month com- ing on line, like the addition of new creamer flavors. The mushroom products con- tain four different strains of mushrooms that can boost immunity, increase focus, and improve cognitive function. As one of the fastest growing companies in the natural-foods arena, Laird Superfood9s offerings are environmentally sustainable, responsibly tested, and made with whole-food ingredients. YO U ’ R E I N V I T E D ! WHAT: Have you done any RENOVATIONS or added any STRUCTURES to your property? If so, don’t forget to update your insurance! SS • AUTO • HOME • HEALTH • LIFE • BUSINE 541-549-3172 1-800-752-8540 704 W. Hood Ave., Sisters FARM • RENTAL At last week9s EDCO Pub Talk, Sisters resident Josie Johnson, CEO and founder of Josie9s Best Gluten Free Mixes, explained her mis- sion of redefining gluten-free foods. She stressed that her glu- ten-free baking mixes really do provide classic tastes and textures, rather than the usual cardboard quality so many people object to in gluten- free products. She is intent on providing overall great products, not just <good for gluten-free.= Johnson9s current lineup of products includes a gluten free (GF) pancake mix, a GF waffle mix, GF crepe mix, and GF muffin-and-more flour. The products are avail- able in five-pound (retail) and 25-pound (food service) packages and can be found at Market of Choice across Oregon, Food4Less, Newport Avenue Market and Melvin9s, C.E. Lovejoy9s, and Central Oregon Locavore. They can also be found online at www.josiesbestgf.com and Amazon. Not only is Josie9s Best gluten-free, it is also soy- free, nut-free, and GMO-free, which sets it apart from other gluten-free mixes. The Original Pancake House in Bend is a loyal user of her products as well as the Hyatt Hotel in Bellevue, Washington. Johnson reported that 90 percent of her food- service customers used Bob9s Red Mill GF mixes before changing to Josie9s. Bob9s is their biggest competitor. All of their early success has been with Johnson as the only full- time employee. Johnson9s search for better GF products grew out of her own issues with gluten that showed up when she was in high school. She has been glu- ten-free for 20 years and she said that has changed her life. According to Johnson, there are 32 million people in the U.S. who have food aller- gies, 5.6 million of them chil- dren under age 18. That means two children in every class- room are dealing with food allergies. In 2018, gluten-free was a $17.5 billion industry and is forecast to increase 9.1 percent a year through 2025. Currently in development is a just-add-water pancake mix and a chocolate chip cookie mix. In three years Johnson is aiming to have fro- zen and packaged GF foods on the market. Her pitch was for board members who can offer advice and people able to pro- vide mentorship as the busi- ness grows and diversifies. When asked what the Sisters community can do to help, Johnson answered, <Go out and buy our product and tell others about us.= WHERE: WHEN: Free Concert with local favorite Dennis McGregor and the Spoilers Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church on the lawn under the tent Friday, August 9, 7PM Cash and food donations welcome. ALL PROCEEDS GO TO SISTERS KIWANIS FOOD BANK! Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 386 N. Fir St., Sisters • 541-549-5831 • shepherdofthehillslutheranchurch.com