Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1477129
HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | August 29, 2022 19 Visit washtrust.com or call 800-475-2265 Nothing cookie cutter here. GET CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS from a partner that values your business as much as you do. Our local teams have helped Connecticut businesses for more than 220 years, let us help you. Member FDIC. farms," Young said. That's another benefit Bahler sees in his delivery model. He buys products directly from his partners at fair prices. "We really try to focus on the [partner] relationships with our farmers and build the connections between the farms and our consumers," he said. Modern convenience Even as inflation has impacted his margins, Bahler said his company has tried to keep its prices affordable. The business has been profitable in each of its first three years. Weekly subscrip- tions range from nearly $24 to $40 depending on the order quantity. And it's not just farmers benefiting. Josh Virkler, who bought Elling- ton-based Luanne's Bakery and opened its first retail location in 2017, has been distributing breads, cookies and granola through Modern Milkman since its early days. He had considered starting an online delivery service himself but found it more cost-effective to leverage Bahler's distribution channel. He said pre-COVID, he was selling about 100 loaves per week, which jumped to nearly 900 at the height of the pandemic. Orders from Bahler's service still total several hundred. Virkler said Modern Milkman is meeting a unique consumer demand. "It's a mix of modern convenience with an old-fashioned feel," he said. Bahler said he continues to grow his subscription-based business. He now has six trucks for delivery, in addition to production and facilities managers to support the enterprise. He even sells branded insulated Modern Milkman milk boxes for customers to use for his weekly deliveries. Last year, an Ohio farm — inter- ested in replicating Bahler's model — inquired about Modern Milkman's online platform. As a pilot, Bahler decided to license his technology under a franchise model in exchange for a percentage of the farm's delivery-based sales. He's hoping to duplicate that in other parts of the country. In Connecticut, he'd like to add more partners and expand his service by creating hubs closer to cities. Modern Milkman's website provides an opportu- nity for prospective customers to enter their names and zip codes so Bahler can track potential demand by town. For now, people out of his delivery area can still subscribe to order Bahler's unique mix of products but must pick up their orders in Ellington. Bahler remains bullish about demand and future growth. He said Modern Milkman's client base ranges from health-conscious millennials to young families to elderly residents who cannot drive. The flexibility to adjust the weekly subscription level and order quantity provides an additional level of convenience. After three years, Bahler estimates the subscription service now drives about 8% of his farm's revenue. It seems he's found a model from the past that may be a big part of his farm's future. Seth Bahler delivers milk from his Oakridge Dairy Farm. HBJ PHOTO | GARY LEWIS