WATSON, Sask. — A battle with breast cancer in 2010 led a Sask-atchewan entrepreneur on a mission to find nut and gluten free organic food.
The search led to the creation of the Canadian Organic Spice and Herb Co. and grew to include oats this spring under its retail label, Splendor Garden.
Colleen Haussecker, who founded the company in Watson, said there were few organic spices and seasoning blends on the market.
“I was looking for ways to increase the nutrients in my food without adding calories,” she said.
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Her company now sells 24 herb and spice blends, all of which were developed by or for Splendor.
Haussecker also saw opportunities in the gluten free market.
“Thirty-three percent of the population in Canada is striving to eat gluten free but can’t find enough choices,” she said.
“They feel better when they do.”
Haussecker said one percent of Canadians suffer from Celiac disease and five percent are gluten intolerant.
The former hair salon owner, who worked in the organics business before launching her company three years ago, said her husband, Randy, and two sons are used to her entrepreneurship.
“When I do something, I do it with guns blazing and I don’t usually stop,” said Haussecker.
She made Watson her headquarters because it’s home, the overhead is lower and she has ready access to a nearby manufacturer to fabricate specialized equipment.
She said business is good, and the company is looking for an investor and a larger building now that it has outgrown its current cramped quarters on the town’s main street.
“We’re in a positive cash flow position,” she said.
“Most companies can go 10 to 15 years to accomplish what we did in 2.5 years,” Haussecker said.
The company stocked its products in 50 stores when it started, and that has now increased to 500 across Canada.
It also sells online, attends trade shows and markets through a website and Facebook.
She said the business, which employs nine staff, will double its sales this year over last year and double those numbers again next year.
The Splendor packaging features a watercolour painting done by Haussecker and includes reusable labels and resealable bags.
The spices retail for about $5, while oat prices range from $6 to $10, depends on size and type. The company has also sold 24,000 reusable spice tins.
A devout Christian, Haussecker donates five cents from every bag sold to charities such as the orphanage in Haiti prominently displayed in a photo.
All Splendor ingredients come from non-genetically modified, non-irradiated crops grown by organic producers.
The oats are supplied by Grain Millers of Yorkton, Sask., a certified manufacturer of organic, whole grain ingredients.
Haussecker said oats that are labelled gluten free must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten. Her products contain less than 10 parts per million, she added.
She expects Canadian demand to continue growing and is keen to tap overseas markets.
Jeff Cooper, a trade specialist with the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership, said his group works with Saskatchewan businesses to export products ranging from livestock genetics to saskatoon jam.
He said most Saskatchewan organic and gluten free products are going to the United States, where markets are currently booming.
“Gluten free and organic certification is an extra bonus that will sell it even better,” Cooper said.
STEP supports its members with market research and advice and contact lists and by participating in international trade missions.
Market trends, market access issues and tariffs are also explored.
“Basically anything we can do to make it easier for them to focus on selling their product,” he said.
“We go where the member wants us to go, and if we find it’s not a good idea, we advise and maybe look at a different market.”
