You have a food or beverage business and want to grow. What's next?

You've had your food or beverage maker business going for awhile, selling at farmers markets, co-ops, and online. Now you'd like to know what it will take to move from a certified shared-use kitchen to a co-packer or even your own facility.

At this one-day program, attendees were introduced to capacity-building business and financial models and outlets that can support a scaling food or beverage manufacturing business. By the end of this program, they had a good sense of what it's going to take to scale their business and how to tap the resources available to them.

Additionally, we reviewed the application process and timing for our 2019-2020 FaBcap Accelerator Program.

If attendees were looking for an opportunity to simply decompress with fellow industry professionals and leaders, enjoying a cold glass of brew by Milwaukee Brewing Co. and some appetizers sounded pretty FaBulous. After the main event, they stuck around for our Summer Social - included in the price of admission! We were at the new digs of the Milwaukee Brewing Co. at their special event space – Venue 42 – in the heart of the Milwaukee Bucks Deer District.

AGENDA

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM ARRIVAL
Networking and sandwich buffet.

12:00 PM - 12:15 PM WELCOME

Welcome by Shelley Jurewicz, Executive Director of FaB Wisconsin
The Day at a Glance by Brad Rostowfske, Director of Industry Growth of FaB Wisconsin

12:15 PM - 4:10 PM BEST PRACTICE PRESENTATIONS

Scaling & Growing Your Business Profitably by Brad Rostowfske of FaB Wisconsin
Building a Brand by Katie Mleziva of Real Food Brands
Maximizing Customer Profitability and Relationship by Sarah Larson of the Food Finance Institute
Production Process Optimization by Beth Aldana of WMEP
Scale-Up Considerations: How to Make More Than ~100 Units/Day by Jamie Valenti-Jordan of Catapult Commercialization Services
Quality & Food Safety Management and Regulatory Compliance by Pat Werner of FaB Wisconsin
Packaging Options & Best Use of Flexible Packaging by Keith Smith of Vonco Products
Corporate Concerns: Answering Common Food and Beverage Legal Questions by Kate Westfall of Reinhart Boerner van Deuren
Developing Reliable Accounting Procedures by Mark Albrecht of Chortek
Developing a High Performance Organization by Cindy Poiesz of EVOLVE Brands

4:10 PM - 4:25 PM ABOUT FaBCAP

4:25 PM - 4:30 PM TRANSITION TO SUMMER SOCIAL

4:30 PM - 6:30 PM SUMMER SOCIAL - INCLUDED IN YOUR EVENT FEE!
Attendees leveraged complimentary registration at our Summer Social to get more time with our Scaler Experts. We had appetizers and complimentary Milwaukee Brewing Co. brew. This Summer Social was included in your Scaler event fee.

WHO ATTENDED?

Early stage, 2-5+ year food and beverage businesses looking to profitably scale and grow their businesses

Companies planning on applying for FaBcap 4 (2019-2020), our business and finance accelerator

Food and beverage industry stakeholders wanting to gain insight and influence to best practices for early stage food or beverage businesses

Entrepreneurs that are considering starting a food or beverage business, that want to gain a head start on what it will take to build a profitable food or beverage business

This event was geared toward food and beverage manufacturers, not restaurant owners.