Laird Superfood making a big splash

So what does a world-renowned surfer have to do with economic impact in Sisters, Oregon? The answer to that became more public as professional surfer Laird Hamilton's company, Laird Superfood, cut the ribbon on their new facility in the Sisters Industrial Park on Monday, July 16, at a ceremony attended by civic and company leaders, as well as employees, citizens, and economic development strategists.

Hamilton, best known as a world-class surfer and fitness guru, was on hand to take part in the celebration that may continue for some time as the company already has 52 employees based in Sisters and plans for literally hundreds more in the years to come.

The company got its start after Hamilton developed the idea of making a more healthy creamer for coffee, which he successfully launched as a product about three years ago. The original creamer includes healthy oils, coconut milk and nectar, along with Aquamin, a calcium-rich additive. Since that time, the company has expanded to other products, including high-quality coffee and performance hydration supplements.

Paul Hodge, CEO for Laird Superfood, is pleased to see his vision coming to fruition. "I moved here in 2011 and I felt it was important to build something that gives back to the community and provides jobs for the people that want to live here."

The company opened in Sisters in November 2015 in the former Metabolic Maintenance building with just a small staff led by Hodge. The City of Sisters provided $51,000 from the Economic Development Loan Fund in December 2016 to help support the project of moving and expanding the manufacturing to Sisters.

It may not be long before the company is the largest employer in Sisters, according to Hodge.

Laird Hamilton addressed the crowd as well. "I am honored to be here and thankful everybody that I have come across has got unique spirit and there is something about this place energetically that I felt when I first landed. This whole project is a positive thing. We are here because of the goodness this represents. This is something that can affect a lot of people."

Speaking of the products themselves, Hamilton said, "I believe that when people are healthier and they feel better they are happier and they then make better decisions in their lives. With Paul's help we expanded to making this stuff for more than just our buddies."

Hodge said, "We moved here seven years ago to raise our family in a culture that we wanted to raise our kids in, to be able to experience nature and enjoy everything that Central Oregon has to offer. Naturally the people that are here, now as employees, fit the culture of the company of keeping a healthy lifestyle, so it all seems to be lining up. It's a match made in heaven, so to speak."

Hamilton agreed that locating in Central Oregon fits the nature of the products they manufacture. "The reason why the company is here is because of Paul. It makes complete sense that it is right here in Sisters."

Hamilton joked that the company's success has made people begin to refer to him as "the creamer guy" rather than for his identity as a world-class surfer.

Hodge also spoke of the future vision of the company. "The bigger picture is that we are working to build an overall food brand that encompasses the entire grocery store. You should be able to go (to) every food (isle) and be able to find some Laird product."

Hodge believes the company and the employees that it will attract will be a further benefit to the entire Sisters community.

"Obviously, some of the jobs will be imported given that we expect to have a large number of new employees in the years to come, some of which will need specialized skills sets. The type of personality and culture we will attract will be a huge benefit to this community. They will be active community members who are athletic and into the lifestyle and here for all the right reasons."

Paul and Carla Schneider of Sisters bought the lots in the industrial park about a year ago, not sure of how the property would be developed. "It's worked out really well so far," he said.

Also on hand was Mike Wallenfels, a board member for the Oregon Outdoor Alliance as well as working as the vice-president of global sales at Hydro-flask. He sees Laird's products as being related to the work he is doing in both capacities of his life.

"There is a great intersection between natural foods and lovers of the outdoors, because folks with healthy, active lifestyles love this stuff. The OOA and Hydro-flask both have natural relationships with companies like this," he said. "This company is providing good jobs, really good jobs for people."

Keeton-King Construction, which is the main contractor for the buildings Laird will occupy, is another beneficiary of the development. Ed Gilmore attended the ceremony, happy that his company has gotten to be part of such an important local project. A second building is under construction, and a third is planned for the property in the near future.

"We don't generally get commercial projects like this right in Sisters," he said. "We didn't know when we started what the buildings were going to be used for, but once that got decided we had to really get going right away on this first building."

From the outside the building are fairly non-descript metal structures, but the interiors are quite specialized for food production, according to Gilmore. He feels good about his company's role in the project.

"It's great to see all the locals who are working for Laird, which has made it a great project for us to be a part of," he said.

The nonprofit group EDCO (Economic Development for Central Oregon) played a large role in helping Laird locate in Sisters. The group's motto is "Move, Start, Grow" which relates encouraging businesses to move to the region, for entrepreneurs to start a business, or for established businesses to grow. EDCO helped guide the company by providing data, connecting it with incentives, and more.

Capi Lewis, who works in the Sisters office of EDCO as managing director, said, "This project can be such a showcase for how this can work, and the City's support cannot be underestimated," she said. "The incentives the City provided along with the support from the county commissioners really made this happen."

According to Lewis, higher wage living quality jobs are what this area really needs and that having Laird Superfood here will provide opportunities for graduates of Sisters School District to return to the area and find living-wage jobs.

"Companies like this are what we need here for our next generation," she said.