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2009 Innovator of the Year – Stone Silo Foods
"Ours is an American story,” stated David Hazzard, co-founder of Stone Silo Foods. “We had an idea, worked hard, and were determined never to give up."
Stone Silo Foods was founded in 1994 by husband and wife team David and Laurie Hazzard with business partner Jim Struble. For a number of years, the Hazzards operated a restaurant in South Sterling well-known for its charming atmosphere and exceptional food. They now co-own and operate a successful food manufacturing company specializing in seafood products. The story of how this came about resonates well in Wayne County.
In this part of the country, our winters are long, people stay close to home, and many of our industries, particularly hospitality, experience a decline in revenue. In the heart of their restaurant – the kitchen – the Hazzards worked with one of their original recipes to see if they could produce it in greater quantities. The hope and intent was to take the product to a larger market and thus earn additional revenue to offset the typical seasonal decline. Their first customer was Dutch’s Market; though the owner good-naturedly deemed the venture “crazy”, he agreed to take on the product. And the rest is … quite frankly, the history here is one of perseverance and hard work.
When Stone Silo needed to expand, Mr. Struble took on the fulltime position of manager and guided the business through the next 10 years. Stone Silo built a new facility, hired a sales team, and advanced into new markets. Through food shows and strong vendor relationships, they entered into the regional market to be carried by vendors such as Schiffs Food Service and D.W. Richards Sons.
Currently, the company employs eight in their 40,000 SF manufacturing facility in Gouldsboro. Stone Silo Foods produces four seafood products (crab spinach cake, stuffed clam, lobster and shrimp cake, mini-products) under their own label and private labels. They are distributed nationally through Sysco Corporation, U.S. Foodservice, DOT Foods, Harbor Seafood, as well as being marketed on QVC.com.
Mr. and Mrs. Hazzard and Mr. Sruble credit their success to providing good service, fulfilling orders when promised, and overcoming obstacles one step at a time. The American culture prizes entrepreneurship, considered both an art and a practice of creating new economic opportunities. For translating their culinary creativity into a viable enterprise, Stone Silo Foods has been named the 2009 Innovator of the Year.
Photo: (L-R) Art Fahey, Stone Silo Foods, Jim LaBar, WEDCO President, Dr. Daniel C. Flynn, The Commonwealth Medical College, Laurie Hazzard, Stone Silo Foods. |
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