By Sarah Lanphier, CEO
What a year! 2012 was a breakthrough year for Nuts About Granola. By the end of the year, I
felt like a proud parent watching her baby graduate high school and venturing out on her own.
2012 was the year Nuts About Granola truly became a company no longer synonymous with
myself. It became something more, something I am very proud of, an asset to the community.
Let’s start from the beginning:
First quarter (Jan-March):
The first quarter is always a little slow coming off of the holiday
season craziness, although it is a welcoming slowdown and one we always take advantage of
by planning out the year’s activities and budgets.
Notable events:
●We took on official employees for the first time with the hire of 4 people to assist in our
increased production demand from the official launch of Alpina’s Revive.
●My first trip to the Natural Products Expo West in CA, which was an eye-opening,
motivating experience that was very beneficial to events later in the year.
Second Quarter (April-June):
Things start to pick up a little as we begin preparations for our
first national trade as a vendor and the launch of our new product.
Notable events:
●We hired our first full-time professional position- Evan Himes, COO.
●We launched Granola BasicsTM at The Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, DC.
●We broke ground on the Leola Facility.
●Sarah and Evan got engaged!
Third Quarter (Jul-Sep):
We are now in the heat of the summer months which makes granola
making very difficult. Our patience was stretched to the max with construction delays, 100+
degree days in the kitchen, and a client who needed product yesterday. Fortunately, we had the
best group of people in the world working behind us and we got through it, emerging stronger
than ever before.
Notable events:
●Our first Cyclocross race sponsorship and the start of what was to become the best
season ever for Team NAG/Keystone Velo Racing.
●Continued promotion of our Granola Basics product at the Natural Products Expo East in
Baltimore.
●First test runs in the new Leola Facility.
Fourth Quarter (Oct-Dec):
Everything we had been working on for the past 2 years suddenly
came together and took off like a racehorse in the fourth quarter. Looking back I now realize why
I slept most of Christmas break!
Notable Events:
●First order for Alpina was made in the Leola Facility
●US Agriculture Secretary paid us a visit in the new Leola Facility - a day I will never
forget!
●Closed Lancaster Market stand - a sad day but one we knew was right in the long run.
●Ribbon Cutting on our new storefront in Downtown York
●Launched a new division of our company, NAG Co-Pack
●Had the best holiday season in the history of our company!
We hope to carry the momentum we gained in the fourth quarter right into 2013. We have big
plans and a lengthy list of prospective clients we can’t wait to announce throughout the year.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us along the way. This journey is one I can’t do
alone and it makes me smile everytime I hear a positive remark about our products from
someone who has no clue I am the one who founded the company. To me, that has always been
my goal -to create a company that means something, that exists far beyond myself, one that
employs and gives back to the community, and one that is built to last.
Cheers to a new year!
