A perfectly sunny day provided the theme for this week’s Rotary meeting as President John Racine radiantly opened the meeting followed by Gary’s invocation mentioning the shining beauty of the day and our region to help nurture our minds and bodies as God’s helps lead us in service above self-activities, and the Kingsley trio time 2 guided all in song through “You are my sunshine”
John Scott’s sunny personality was brightly exhibited introducing guests and visiting Rotarians. These included Lansing Rotarian Pres. David Marvin as well as Trevor’s aunt Diane, also a pres.-elect, and Village Press’s Terry who is a potential member, and Rotary Charities new staff member Evan who probably does indeed have a sunny disposition.
Announcements included the promise of a sunny evening on the water (already having taken place by the time of this writing) by Susan Krause, and on the golf course from Mike M. for the Annual Rotary Golf Outing August 14th at 1pm (more news later on potentiality of pickleball – say that one ten times real fast! – from Mike Jackson). And it was sunny Steve Wade’s birthday!
And as always defining the very definition of a sunny disposition was Marilyn Fitzgerald with an equally sunny announcement that a Rotary Global Grant had been approved for Las Americas, helping 88 women receive an education: with a contribution of $10,000 with $17,000 from Rotary Foundation.
Then nothing says sunshine like a summer picnic, and what would a picnic be without potato chips. Bruce Finlayson (with even a phonetic sun to complement the day’s theme) introduced Ed Girrbach, entrepreneurial owner of Great Lakes Potato Chip Company. Ed was definitely one of the most enthusiastic, energetic, and yes sunny presenters yet this year! We were regaled with stories of his development as an entrepreneur from selling ponchos created from his Mom’s blankets at the age of 12, where he learned his first lesson in “cost of goods sold”, through aviation and a plant store startup. But with his sons in food and beverage he collaborated on Pangea’s pizza, then venturing into retail with sauces but looking for expansion via a different product line versus franchising pizza; they settled on another product he enjoyed consuming – potato chips. He knew he could sell the sizzle of the beauty of the Great Lakes in the product and discovered Michigan had but one other producer so in combination with the yearning for “local” they went into the potato biz.
There were lots of impressive facts and figures presented by Ed including their growth from $60,000 in sales the first year of 2010 to $2,800,000 in 2016. They use about 80,000 lbs. of potatoes per week, with the winning flavor formula being skin on and kettle fried. The processing of other brand’s large batch potato has a second post slicing rinse that washes away the starch to prevent sticking when the pieces are run on a conveyor for oiling, but also rids much of the flavor.
They also do private labeling production which they have found to be an exploding niche market for them, including the delicious chips at Jolly Pumpkin on Old Mission Peninsula. The Great Lakes Potato Chip was voted “Best Kettle Chip” in the country by a Chicago Tribune tasting. And more sunny good news for entrepreneurs is the trend for big company producers toward getting squeezed out of markets for “local” because customers can verify the authenticity of claims via the internet, so those truly producing a locally sourced product are gaining ground; 80% of Great Lakes potatoes are grown in Michigan. Long term plans are to stay in their location on west M72 but with some renovations, providing more high tech paying jobs locally; to follow the snowbirds with expanding distribution in the southeast (aka following the sun).