W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 31
M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 2 0
www.reed-reed.com
Congratulations to all past and future Business Leader of the Year award winners.
Bob and Carmen Garver
Owners / Wicked Joe Organic Coffees and Bard Coffee
What they are doing today: Bob Garver, CEO, Carmen Garver,
CFO, at Wicked Joe Organic Coffees, which has 38 employees, and
Bard Coffee, with 12 employees. In the three years since being honored
in 2017, our coffee sales have more than doubled. In 2019 we also suc-
cessfully launched an organic tea company, Wicked Leaf Organic Teas.
Key lessons learned as a manager:
• Surround yourself with smart, motivated and entrepreneurial
team players and empower them.
• Invest in building your team. Teams achieve what even the
very best individuals cannot achieve alone.
• Always stay focused on the mission, values and culture of your
company.
Advice to Maine's next generation of business leaders: Work
hard. Build mission-based businesses and behave with integrity in
all you do. Have fun.
What's next: We are proud to have been honored as "Best for the
World Overall" by B Corp which places Wicked Joe Organic Coffees
in the top 10% of all B Corps. To support this growth and expansion,
we have purchased buildings and properties adjacent to our roastery
in Topsham and will expand this year into those spaces. Included in
this project will be the addition of a welcome center, an event space,
a wellness center, and an expanded training and R&D center, addi-
tional office space — in addition to the expansion of Wicked Leaf
Organic Teas and our coffee roasting operation. We are also adding a
gorgeous and expansive new Bard Coffee and Tea retail location with
an anticipated opening in 2021 in the Portland Foreside project on
the waterfront in Portland's Old Port. We also have plans to expand
our staff Organic Garden Project.
Bob and Carmen Garver own Wicked Joe Organic Coffees, which has
wholesale accounts, and Bard Coffee, a retailer.
