Small and Innovative… |
SIX COMPANIES YOU SHOULD KNOW |
Everybody knows the muscular manufacturers of West Michigan, the big guys who employ thousands and can ignite the local economy with the flint and steel of corporate power. |
But in the shadow of those mega-companies, a thousand little guys chug away, fueling niches of their own a nickel at a time. |
We picked six small success stories that don’t fit the traditional mold of auto supplier, tool shop or furniture maker. All share the entrepreneurship that permeates the West Michigan psyche – a love of making things and a knack for making money. |
Press reporter Julia Bauer profiles these companies to represent so many others whose diversity is a key to tomorrow’s economy. Who says manufacturing is dying in West Michigan? |
Elan Nutrition, LLC
Makes: High-protein and other varieties of snack bars
Location: 4490 44th St. SE, Cascade Township
Employs: 200
In a flash, orders for low-carb snack bars rolled into Elan Nutrition, as the protein bar and snack bar maker shifted gears to crack out thousands of carb-correct products. Just as fast, the fad evaporated. “The low-carb trend has definitely subsided,” said David Finnigan, chief executive officer. About 6 percent of the population still relies on a low-carb diet, but the trend now is toward balance, said William Curtis, vice president of operations. Another trend – biteability. “People want to bite down on nuts or fruit pieces,” Finnigan said. “It ties in with the feeling it’s more natural and nutritious.” Good taste is king at this food manufacturer whose identify is little known. “We’re kind of a hidden jewel here,” Finnigan said. How good? Finnigan projects 27 percent sales growth this year. That’s on top of 38 percent growth for its fiscal year ended June 30. Now, it is the nation’s second largest manufacturer of nutritional bars. Elan Nutrition grew from the ovens and inspiration of two Rockford entrepreneurs, George and Rick Manus, more than 20 years ago. The business changed hands and names several times, most recently in 2003 when Sun Capital Partners, a private equity group, acquired it and hired a new management team. Although consumers cannot buy a bar called “Elan,” they consume the company’s product when they purchase certain varieties of ZonePerfect, MetRX, and Slimfast bars. EAS Body-for-Life and NBTY Inc. carry Elan-made high-protein bars for weightlifters and body-builders. Elan also produces lots of store-brand bars. Forecasting the fickle tastes of consumers is a fine art, but hot topics in health help Elan thrive. For heart health, bars have more fiber; for joints, more glucosamine; and for diabetics, low fat and no sugar. Bars by Elan typically sell for about $1.50, but if you love a certain kind, enjoy it now. “The life cycle is two to three years for our products, so you’re always innovating and trying to develop new styles and types of product,” Curtis said. That theme reverberates across the spectrum of industries, whether renowned or unknown.
Innovation. The quest for perfection. Extreme customer service. And never, never resting on your success. “Even if we’re doing well, it’s not well enough,” Finnigan said.