Master talk

创业发想
The ideas behind the new product and company started about 12 years ago. At that time, a woman named Lori Katz was in the Los Angeles, California area, working as a toy designer for Mattel Toys. She indicates that she has always had an interest in creating a high protein, vegetarian healthy snack at least for her own consumption, using tofu as the main ingredient.

Taking some of her "jerky" to work one day, she passed some samples out to co-workers. They, in her own words, " went crazy" for the snack and wanted to purchase more of it for their healthty snacking pleasure. The reaction from her associates triggered her entrepreneurial zeal and she immediately started fantasizing about tofu jerky's possibilities as a real product for sale to others.

公司背景
Several years later, working in a difference design firm, she met her future business partner whom she identifies only a "Michael." The partner, otherwise fully employed in another major food company, has an extensive background in finance and lots of experience bringing other kinds of products to market. He also, was extremely creative.

Deciding that they could complement each other nicely as business partners, Michael went to work on the business plan while Lori continued with the R&D on the jerky and other food inventions.

It look another year, before two decided to move forward beyond their simple trials, and enter the market. They had found a local manufacturer, a great package designer, and a host of other consultants. They had also found an investor who took and equity interest in the new company, Ogee Foods, and the cmpany, and its new Protons, "the original Crunchy Tofu" were lauched.


新产品
The snacks are organic, and come in four flavors: Backyard Bar-B-Q, Tomato Herb Garden, Cinnamon Toast and Lemon Meringue Pie. They are packaged in 1.5 ounce pouches, with a suggested retail of $2.99. Generally they can be found in the ready-to-eat snack section of the retail stores.

The company claims Protons are the "first ever, great tasting super crunchy tofu product." They are made in delicious bite sized cubes that come in both the sweet and savory flavours. The products are organic, vegan, wheat/gluten/daily/egg free, non-gmo and cholesterol free. Each pouch contains approximately 15grams of protein and has the highest levels of the nultritional goodness of soy. Suggested uses include "on-the-go" snacking, for salads, soups or mixed in your own creations.


通路
In the first attempt to sell into Portland and Eugene Oregon, they found 21 stores commited to carrying it, as well as a regional broker and a distributor of specialty foods in the Pacific Northwest.