The Power Up ⎯ SN.04/EP.02
How Working With Non-Profits Can Be Profitable
When the wholesale food distributor, Amrein Foods closed down, a team of entrepreneurs took over the space with the idea to assist local nonprofit organizations. However, so many different people kept coming to their space looking for Amrein Foods and leaving disappointed that it had closed. Sean Lipscomb, the Director of Operations, and the rest of the team realized the community needed a cost-effective food store and opened Horizon Foods.
Currently, they are focusing on growing their business to where it is appetizing for a larger food distributor to acquire them. This means better pricing with volume deals and sourcing products directly from suppliers instead of distributors.
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About The Business
Business name: Horizon Foods
Founded: 2022
Director of Operations: Sean Lipscomb
Location: Joppatowne, MD
Website: https://horizonfoodstore.com/
Sales diversification strategy: E-commerce, storefront, warehouse, distributor closeout deals
About Our Guest
Like many small business owners, Sean had no experience with the food service business. However, he and his team discovered the opportunity to bring an affordable food store to their community. With so much passion for this idea, Sean put some of his own money into the project, along with a $50,000 loan from the county with a zero percent interest. Horizon Foods was so popular, in fact, that they became profitable during their first year.
A big focus for Sean is using Horizon Foods to support small non-profits. He shares, “They just don’t have the bandwidth to survive. So it just seemed like a good way to partner with the community and strengthen our ties.”
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