Business profiles provide a brief overview of specific value-added businesses. The profile is usually only three to five pages long. It includes the following:
- Overview of the operation
- Motivation to start a business
- How the business has developed
- Access to markets
- Critical steps in the development of the business
- Barriers to success
- Unexpected problems the were encountered
- Whether the business venture has succeeded or failed
- Ways in which the market/industry is changing
- Lessons learned from the experience
Business profiles can be used to look at a value-added business from the manager/owner’s perspective. It can provide valuable and practical insight into the business development process that you can use in developing your business.
Below are business profiles written by business manager/owners with the assistance of the AgMRC staff.
- Birds Eye Foods (pdf) - A company that is a major player in the fruit, vegetable and snack food sectors. October 2003.
- Cory Value-Added Business Synopsis (pdf) - Lamb producers who capitalize on ethnic populations. August 2002.
- Country Line Orchard (pdf) - A you-pick apple and pumpkin farm that specializes in agri-entertainment. August 2002.
- Doc's Hunt Club - A bird-hunting club that has private memberships and is open to the public by reservation. November 2005
- Falcon Orchard - A "you-pick" and "we-pick" fresh cherry orchard in Wisconsin with a craft store that sells country folk-art-related gift items. June 2005
- Growing Family Fun - This profile details one operation turning to agri tourism. This is a third-generation family business that manages corn and soybean production 14 miles northeast of downtown Des Moines, Iowa, and located just five minutes from I-35 and I-80. Darrell and Malinda Geisler manage the business. March 2006
- Heartland Fish Cooperative (pdf) - This cooperative has four family producer-owners with indoor, enclosed aquaculture facilities at two locations. They produce "fresh-frozen" fresh-dressed, wrapped and frozen rainbow trout and walleye pike fillets. August 2003
- Liberty Hill Farm (pdf) - This Vermont dairy farm turned to agri-tourism to boost the farm's income and found a niche supplying a farm experience for children and families. October 2003
- Maize Valley Farm - A diversified direct farm market enterprise in Hartville, Ohio. The farm market includes a bakery, deli, and the sale of fresh produce. April 2005
- Michigan Turkey Growers - Seventeen turkey producers banned together and formed Michigan Turkey Growers Cooperative during the summer of 1998. August 2005
- Northern Vineyard Winery (pdf) - A cooperatively owned winery that buys grapes from 16 producer members. September 2002
- Organic Valley Family of Farms - the Cooperative Regions of Organic Producer Pools (CROPP), headquartered in the rural town of La Farge, Wisc., is one of the most successful farmer owned food cooperatives in the country.
- Planeview Enterprises, (pdf) Jefferson, Iowa. - Planeview Enterprises is a diversified value-added agricultural company featuring three separate businesses: raspberries, Berkshire hogs and consulting services. Proprietors of the Central Iowa company are Larry and Pam Thomsen. October 2005
- Santa Cruz Farm - Santa Cruz Farm grows 76 different varieties of crops the entire 12 months of the year and bases their entire farm profitability on direct farm marketing, including local farmers’ markets, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and wholesale accounts. October 2005
- Southeast Iowa Nut Growers Co-op (pdf) - A cooperative of 40 chestnut growers who pool their crop and sell it through a marketing coordinator. November 2002
- Tammen Treeberry Farm (pdf) - This farm offers choose-and-cut Christmas trees and pick-your-own blueberries. August 2002
- Vande Rose Farms is an Iowa company that raises pork and owns a catering business. The company is comprised of three extended families (Van Gilst, DeBruin and Rozenboom), whose ancestors emigrated from Holland more than 100 years ago. June 2006
- West Liberty Foods Business Profile (pdf) - This company focuses on turkey processing, value-added co-manufacturing and private labeling of turkey, beef, chicken and pork products. April 2003
Access to more business profiles is provided in the box at the right.