Simply Suzanne is simply growing. Fast. The Corktown-based granola business has spread across the state and has its eyes on the rest of the country.
The 3-year-old firm has grown its bottom line by 500 percent in the last year. That has allowed it to hire nine people, rounding out its staff to a dozen people. Simply Suzanne is currently looking to hire two new people now and another 4-5 people by the end of the year.
"It has been unbelievably exciting," says Suzanne Vier, owner of
Simply Suzanne. "We are forecasting an additional 500 percent growth. Those numbers are pretty solid."
New shelf space in major retailers are fueling that growth. Simply Suzanne is now selling its granola in
Meijer stores. It also locked up shelf space in
Kroger supermarkets, helping it get into 200 stores in five states. Last summer, it also got into
Whole Foods stores in Michigan and now has its eyes on stores on the east coast.
"It was a huge win for us," Vier says "It was really exciting."
Simple Suzanne makes granola products with natural, local ingredients. It recently moved into a larger warehouse in Corktown to facilitate its rapid growth. The new space and business is also expected to allow it to roll out new products, including loose granola and trail mix.
Source: Suzanne Vier, owner of Simply Suzanne
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at
SEMichiganStartup.com.
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