Mainebiz

O C T O B E R 1 6 , 2 0 2 3 22 M I D C O A S T / D OW N E A S T F O C U S Mainebiz: How is business this year? Kate McAleer: It has been an excit- ing year with the opening of the Chocolate Café in Waterville and the reopening of the retail boutique at the Rockland manufacturing facility, after closing the retail shop for three years during the COVID pandemic. Our local customers and returning visitors from 'away' have told us how pleased they are to shop in person at the fac- tory. is year, Bixby received seven prestigious national and international awards for our products. MB: What are your busiest months? KM: For our manufacturing, we find the last two quarters of the year the busiest time with distributors and wholesale accounts preparing for the holiday season. e Rockland boutique is busi- est during the high tourist months of mid-May through October and at the holidays. Since this is the first year for the Waterville café, it is too early to determine seasonal patterns. MB: To what extent do you see the midcoast growing as a year-round destination, and is that having any impact on your business? KM: We are seeing a combination of population growth and an extension of the spring and fall shoulder and holiday seasons for tourism. e winter season remains traditionally quiet. Our manu- facturing for distribution and wholesale business runs yearlong. MB: Anything new or coming up at your Rockland facility this year or next? KM: For 2023, we made a strategic deci- sion to make 100% of our chocolate with our bean-to-bar operations. We are sourcing cacao beans from plantations that strive to sustain the rainforest and produce exceptional beans. We are pur- suing this strategy for quality enhance- ment and avoiding the vagaries of sup- ply chain shortfalls, shipping delays and increasing freight costs. Another exciting initiative for 2023 is roasting our own coffee beans and making a line of coffee offerings. We named our coffee Bixenta, meaning 'victorious woman' in Basque. Our roaster is the world's first internet- connected, zero-emissions commer- cial coffee roaster. Bellwether's recir- culating roasting technology removes particulates and volatile organic compounds in real-time, reducing the carbon footprint of roasting by an average of 90%. MB: How do your sales break down in terms of in-store versus online, and do you see any changes in that mix? KM: Seasons play a big role in this breakdown — summertime we see a major drop in online sales as shipping is more expensive and needs to be expe- dited due to the warmer temperatures. Summertime in Rockland is very busy for our retail in-person sales. Online increases as the temperature cools and we head into seasonal products such as our very popular advent calendar. MB: Would you ever consider anoth- er retail location on the Midcoast? KM: Currently we have no plans for a secondary retail location. We are focusing on new distributor partner- ships and growing our current retail locations. LooHoo brand creator juggles more products Cyndi Prince is a Camden-based entrepreneur who launched LooHoo Dryer Balls in 2010 as a reusable, energy-saving eco-friendly alternative to toxic dryer sheets. She came up with the idea when she became pregnant, wanting to cre- ate a healthy home environment for her family. Later this fall, she'll be adding to the brand with new products includ- ing LooHoo Dryer Gems, Laundry Bags and Wash Bags, to be sold online and at art shows. "We are anticipating a strong Q4 with great holiday sales," she said ahead of the launch, which she said would be around Nov. 1. Dryer Gems, she said, are an all-vegan version of the Dryer Balls "perfect for anyone allergic to wool or who wants to eliminate or reduce animal products in their home." "e soft, plant-based filling is actual bamboo fibers, while the recycled cotton fabric comes straight from high-end New York City designers, providing a sustainable alternative to typical discards that end up in our landfills." She recommends tossing in the dryer gems in with the laundry, possibly with a few sprinkles of essential oil before dry- ing "to infuse a fresh scent." While Prince still runs her busi- ness from home, finding a production facility remains a long-term goal. Renee Cordes, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at rcordes @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P R O V I D E D P H O T O VO L . X X I X N O. X X I V P H O T O / J I M N E U G E R Cyndi Prince is a home- based entrepreneur in Camden. She recently added to her product line with all-vegan Dryer Gems, shown in the upper left. Bixenta is a new coffee brand by Bixby Chocolate. P ROV I D E D P H O T O

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