1. Local, Specialty Food Products
Help Boost State’s Economy
BY EMILY STEVENSON
T
he best way to be successful in the
specialty food industry,it appears,is
to not plan to go into the industry
at all.While South Carolina boasts
a large – and growing – number of local
specialty food producers,almost all say
their passion for food,not business,is what
has made them successful.
“I never really thought about
putting it to market until my brother-
in-law said,‘You need to sell this’ ” says
Valarie “Valine” Davis Lee.
Lee is the owner ofValine’s Famous,
a line of sauces and dips. She has been
making her cocktail sauce, her flagship
product, since she was a young girl but
only a chance remark caused her to
consider bringing it to market.
Tracy Blanchard, president of Big
T Coastal Provisions seafood dips, has a
similar story. She and her husband,Tony,
made his mother’s famous crab dip for
parties and gifts. For 10 years everyone
told the Blanchards they needed to do
something more with it.They finally
listened, and this month their dips will
be available in 1,000 Wal-Mart stores
across the southeast.
Blanchard laughs,“It’s not ever
something I thought I’d be doing, but
it’s a lot of fun.”
DOLLARS AND SENSE
Specialty food products are experi-
encing a steep growth curve.While food
sales in general have only experienced
a three-percent growth in the past two
years, the specialty foods industry has
grown by about 22 percent during
that same time period, according to
data collected by the Specialty Food
Association.
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Millenials especially are drawn to locally sourced and created food products.
3. 38 | COLUMBIABUSINESSMONTHLY.COM MARCH 2016
Ron Tanner, vice president of
philanthropy, government, and industry
relations for the SFA, attributes this
steep growth curve to an increased
awareness and importance of the prov-
enance and ingredients of foods.
“As consumers are looking more
for products that they can identify the
place and person it’s coming from, the
demand is increasing and fueling growth
throughout,” says Tanner.
As with many purchasing trends, this
one points back to the Millennials.
“The Millennial generation is prob-
ably now the largest consumer group
out there,” says Blanchard.“I think that
they really are looking for a connection
to what they eat and where it comes
from.”
Thankfully, South Carolinians
don’t have much of a shortage of
options, in both crops and prepared
food products.Agriculture and related
industries are the number one industry
in South Carolina – with a $41.7 billion
economic impact annually.
“Anything we can do to increase
people’s engagement in the agribusiness
sector obviously increases our overall
scag_8638_FOTM_Print_ColaBizMonthly_00.indd 1 2/16/16 2:43 PM
Big T Coastal Provisions’ crab dip is
available in Wal-Mart stores this month.
4. MARCH 2016 GREATER COLUMBIA BUSINESS MONTHLY | 39
impact on the state’s economy,” says
Stephanie Sox, communications director
for the South Carolina Department of
Agriculture.
Sox says the state is unique in that
it has access to seasonal fresh fruits and
vegetables year-round, in addition to
crops such as cotton and soybeans, as
well as livestock. Last year was a chal-
lenging one for these farmers due to the
October flooding, and many took severe
economic hits.
“It’s more important than ever
that everyone continue to support our
number one industry by seeking local
products,” says Sox.
SLOW AND STEADY
Local products aren’t limited to
tomatoes and corn, or even sauces and
dips.There’s a fair amount of wine and
spirits being produced around the state,
and another beverage as well: coffee.
While the coffee beans are obviously
not grown in the state, South Carolina
is home to several roasters, including
King Bean Coffee Roasters based in
Charleston. Owner and founder Kurt
Weinberger spent time near Seattle with
the Navy in the early 1990s and saw the
coffee scene explode there. He knew
there was nothing like that in South
Carolina, so he brought his vision back
to Hilton Head Island, and eventu-
ally moved up the coast to the Low
Country.
He says Charleston’s growth as a
global community has allowed their
business to thrive.
“It’s becoming more of a global
community, and what a true south-
erner may enjoy in a cup of coffee is
completely different than what someone
from abroad would enjoy,”Weinberger
says.“You’re able to offer more sophis-
ticated coffees with nuances that people
who have a background culture [in
“Do it out of
passion for your
product and being
able to share what
you have with
other people,”
Tanner says.
Kurt Weinberger wanted to recreate
Seattle’s booming scene in S.C.
5. 40 | COLUMBIABUSINESSMONTHLY.COM MARCH 2016
“Valine” has been making her famous cocktail sauce
since she was a young girl.
King Bean coffee is roasted daily on a 60-kilogram Petrocini roaster. The Blanchards’ crab dip features 100 percent real crab meat.
6. MARCH 2016 GREATER COLUMBIA BUSINESS MONTHLY | 41
Where To Buy:
Valine’s Famous
www.valinesfamous.com
• Mast General Store
• non(e)such
• South Carolina State Museum
• Wingard’s Nursery
Big T Coastal
Provisions
www.bigtcoastalprovisions.com
• Publix
• Ingles
• Harris Teeter
• Lowe’s Foods
• Wal-Mart
King Bean Coffee
Roasters
www.kingbean.com
• Whole Foods
coffee] can really appreciate.”
Weinberger and his wife Katie admit
that while business is booming now, it
wasn’t always this easy. In the beginning,
Kurt went door-to-door to restaurants
to solicit coffee sales.At the time, he was
a young independent seller up against
institutional coffee roasters. His persis-
tence eventually paid off.
“It’s not easy starting out,” says Katie.
“Start slowly, take your time, do your
research, and know your customer.”
Lee offers similar advice to anyone
hoping to bring their special recipe to
market.
“You have to be committed and
have a passion for it, because you’ve
got to be out there doing your stuff on
the weekends, visiting your retailers,
and being in multiple places at various
times,” Lee says.“I try to spread it out to
where I’m not burned out.”
Burnout is a common danger for
those running a small business selling
a food product, especially since many
people are doing it as a side job, not
their main source of income.Tanner
encourages any potential food sellers
to take it slow and keep expectations
modest.
“Do it out of passion for your
product and being able to share what
you have with other people,”Tanner
says.“Don’t do it because you think
you’re going to get rich, because
it doesn’t happen that way in this
business.”
SHOW AND TELL
Networking is crucial in the food
industry.The Specialty Food Association
puts on two shows a year, one in New
York and one in San Francisco. Lee
credits these shows for helping connect
her with potential buyers, as well as
collateral workers such as co-packers
and designers.
“You’re on a journey with yourself
and you can get stuck in a bubble,”
Lee explains.“You just need to call
somebody.They all started in the same
spot, regardless of whether they’re a
multi-million dollar company or just a
few years older than you.”
She also recommends joining the
South Carolina Specialty Food Associa-
tion, as well as any business development
organizations that are available.These are
typically free or inexpensive resources,
but their connections can be invaluable.
The Specialty Foods Association’s
NewYork Fancy Foods Show last
summer was what led the Blanchards to
Wal-Mart.Tracy noticed a man with a
Wal-Mart name tag, introduced herself,
and told her that he needed her crab dip
in his stores.After exchanging contact
information, he connected her with the
senior seafood buyer, and the Blanchards
presented their product.And Wal-Mart
bought it.
“They have a $250 billion commit-
ment to buy American-made products,”
says Tracy.“More importantly, they
looked at their products and thought we
would be a good fit.”
While delicious by itself, Valine’s Famous cocktail sauce can be
mixed in meatloaf, crab cakes and Bloody Marys.
