The COVID-19 pandemic has turned our world upside down, with small businesses being hit especially hard. This is a pivotal time for SMBs, and the way they respond to the pressure will determine how their business runs for years to come. Many companies are taking this difficult situation and turning it into an opportunity. In our Positive Pivots series, we’re diving deeper into what these innovative businesses have done, and what lies beneath the surface to produce this kind of creativity and resilience.
This week we spoke with Hunter Jarvis, Chief Commercial Officer at Elmhurst 1925, to discuss how the company was both positively and negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is Elmhurst?
Elmhurst was founded in 1925 as a conventional dairy. In 2016, after years of dairy consumption declining, Elmhurst decided to close the dairy (the largest and last in New York City) and team up with top food scientists who were pioneering the process of how to maximize nutrition from plants. We were not interested in creating just another almond milk. We wanted to bring the best version to market. We originally launched four plant-based dairy alternative products in 2017. Now, in 2020, we have 30 products, including oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, hazelnut milk, walnut milk, and a new soft serve mix we just launched! We offer the widest portfolio and most unique varieties of premium, shelf-stable, plant-based dairy alternatives.
How did COVID-19 affect your operations?
Similar to most companies, it’s been an uphill battle during COVID-19. Not surprisingly, certain channels like foodservice and international sales channels were affected more than others, while other channels like retail and ecommerce saw acceleration in growth. Things are definitely not back to normal, but we are starting to see a move back in that direction. While COVID-19 was not an expected phenomenon, it forced our company to meet the challenges and we are now a stronger business.
How did you respond to changes due to COVID-19 at your company?
During COVID-19, we expanded our focus to place more emphasis on ecommerce and our end consumers as many stores obviously were not open. We’ve seen tremendous growth in that segment and want to continue to build on the momentum we’ve gained in the last several months.
Has there been a silver-lining for your business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
COVID-19 changed how consumers eat and shop for food. In the beginning of shelter-in-place mandates, longer shelf-life and shelf-stable items were in demand. Consumers have also become more conscious about the foods they buy, specifically looking for healthier, better-for-you options. Elmhurst 1925 fits perfectly into these trends with our clean label, nutritious, dairy alternatives.
