Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 O C T O B E R 1 9 , 2 0 2 6 M A D E I N M A I N E with the idea of commercializing their granola recipe while sitting around a campfire in Baxter State Park. The company began as a small, local granola producer and has since expanded to become a nationally rec- ognized brand. Its early operation was informal; a group of mostly women would gather for a weekly "social baking hour" to make granola, which was then packaged and shipped to customers. In 2000, Aaron Anker and Nat Peirce took over the company, begin- ning a 22-year business partnership. e pair streamlined the previous model of operations to improve pro- duction efficiency. Anker bought out Peirce in 2022 and rebranded to Grandy Organics. "We were naturally distributed," says Anker, now sole owner of Grandy Organics. "We just grew it a little bit slower, more sustainably without any outside capital." e consistent and intentional growth has yielded significant results for the company, which can now be found nationwide in Hannaford, Sprouts Farmers Market, Amazon, Whole Foods and certain Costco locations from San Diego to Denver. Over the years, Grandy Organ- ics has diversified its product offer- ings to include trail mixes, roasted nuts and cereals. e company also introduced Coconola, a grain-free gra- nola, as demand for grain-free prod- ucts was growing nationally. Grandy Organics has also found success with an unexpected market: universities. rough a partnership with Dot Foods, college students and faculty can enjoy Grandy Organics products in dining halls at 75 univer- sities across the country. "We've really accelerated our rate of change and rate of growth," says Anker. "We've basically doubled the business in the last four years." Social media and relationships with influencers have been critical to getting Grandy Organics in front of new audiences. A new $1.2 million warehouse constructed in Hiram, new ovens, scissor lifts and packaging equipment that can pack 42 bags per minute have made increased produc- tion possible, while the company still bakes its products in small batches to retain quality. For other Maine businesses look- ing to expand beyond the state, Anker says staying connected to custom- ers and the changing marketplace is important for success. "Listen to your team, to yourself, to the marketplace," he says. "Don't just sit behind your desk. Get out in the field and see what's going on in the market." Growing with a focus on real ingredients In 2011, Kate McAleer founded Bixby Chocolate in Rockland with the phi- losophy of "chocolate with a con- science." e company debuted with the Bixby Bar, focusing on confections made with real ingredients while offer- ing organic options, which were less common in the market at the time. "e concept is really simple: use real ingredients," says McAleer. "As an example, we launched chocolate-cov- ered Maine wild blueberries. ey're real dried Maine wild blueberries. And if you look at the market for what appears to be chocolate-covered blue- berries, if you read the ingredients, it's terrible. ey're full of flavors, color- ing and all sorts of stuff. at was the ethos: 'Can we just make really nice confections with real food?'" As a small confectionery company, Bixby competes in a chocolate market where larger brands control much of the market, McAleer explains. Addi- tionally, because chocolate is a perish- able product that easily melts, McAleer has been strategic about how and where Bixby products are distributed. "We are trying to grow, but intel- ligently," she says. "I think that is def- initely one of the pressures of CPG (consumer packaged goods) is that there's this vibe to raise a lot of money and grow and sell and exit. And that was not the path I chose." Bixby Chocolate has found suc- cess in e-commerce on its website and with retailers such as Macy's and QVC, which have expanded the com- pany's national reach. Additionally, Hannaford's Close to Home pro- gram, which features locally made products, and a partnership with Whole Foods have put Bixby Choc- olate on grocery store shelves. As a small business owner looking to grow, McAleer decided to lever- age the resources available to her and apply for as many opportunities as possible. e Tory Burch Founda- tion Fellows Program, the Gorham Savings Bank now Maine Commu- nity Bank, LaunchPad competition, the Greenlight Maine pitch compe- tition, a Maine Technology Institute grant and support from the Small Business Administration were among the opportunities McAleer used to secure funding, expand operations and purchase machinery. McAleer frequently attends trade and consumer shows across the country but does not see many other Maine companies in her trav- els. She hopes to see a growing Maine presence in the trade show arena. L ooking toward the future, McAleer plans to continue devel- oping new products using Bixby's ethically sourced chocolate. "In the early days, we wondered, did anyone want our products? Now, people buy our products, and they go in their Christmas stockings. And you're just like, 'Oh, yes, we have made it,'" she says about the success of her com- pany. "We are part of people's lives." S l o a n e M . P e r r o n , a f r e e l a n c e w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z We are trying to grow, but intelligently. I think that is definitely one of the pressures of [consumer packaged goods] is that there's this vibe to raise a lot of money and grow and sell and exit. And that was not the path I chose. — Kate McAleer Bixby Chocolate F O C U S F I L E P H O T O / DAV I D C L O U G H Kate McAleer, owner of Bixby Chocolate

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