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Say "Cheese!" Creamery Turns Milk into Money
With the help of: Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) at Georgia Tech
About
The Challenge
I loved working with the people at the GaMEP. They were always professional, resourceful, and willing to help my small company succeed.
MEP's Role
During the training Schick identified what she needed to do in her specific safety plan for the creamery. White pointed to FDA resources, including a “Safety Plan Builder”, so that Schick could rewrite her own plan without hiring an outside person, thus saving her money. She was able to identify preventative points outlined by the regulations and post the printed plan in the creamery so that everyone could see step-by-step directions for troubleshooting issues. The cohort structure gave Schick the chance to network and make connections, resulting in more selling opportunities and supply chain resources.
Schick and White also discussed other needs for CalyRoad, including the need for marketing support. Schick was then introduced to Katie Takacs, industry marketing manager, to assist her in a redesign of the creamery’s website and implementing an e-commerce solution, as well as a social media strategy. Takacs identified how to make the website more conducive to attract new customers and engage current clientele, as well as implementing a supporting 6-month social media and content strategy plan.
By strategically planning the website launch around Thanksgiving 2019, they were able to capture the holiday sales rush. And in conjunction with adding e-commerce, a wholesale website section, tying products in with the events area, and adding a contact us form, the website traffic increased almost twofold. Takacs also created a marketing campaign, creating interactions and sales opportunities. These messages included promotions with specials, festive recipes, supporting small business initiatives, and ways to use the cheese products “outside of the norm” in creative ways.