Big Sandy Organics looks to go nation - and world - wide

Editor's note: This version corrects that Big Sandy Organics is taking new orders but Montana Hammer Knives has stopped taking new orders at the moment due to a backlog of orders.

A locally owned and operated business that started five years ago is nearly doubling its workforce and looking to start selling products all across the world.

"Should be a hopefully busy year," Big Sandy Organics General Manager Thomas Dilworth said. "(It's) been about two years getting to this place and we're hoping that this is the year that it kind of breaks free."

A press release last month said that Chouteau County will receive a grant from the Department of Commerce Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund on behalf of Big Sandy Organics LLC. This grant will reimburse Big Sandy Organics up to $22,500 for creating three new jobs.

"Grant funds will be used to purchase equipment, machinery, construction materials and for wage reimbursement," the release said.

Big Sandy Organics manufactures and sells Kracklin' Kamut Brand Wheat Snacks, an organic snack food made with Kamut grain, a strain of an ancient grain trademarked by Big Sandy Organics founder Bob Quinn.

Quinn, an organic farmer since the 1980s, reintroduced khorasan wheat, a previously extinct strain of wheat, around 30 years ago, marketing it as Kamut. Dilworth said khorasan wheat has to be organically grown to specific standards and regulations in order to be sold as Kamut, adding that farmers all around the world have been growing Kamut for decades since Quinn reintroduced it.

Big Sandy Mayor Shaud Schwarzbach said that, over the years, the companies and the jobs Quinn has created have been a great asset to the community. Bringing in families and jobs to the area and supporting other small businesses, he said. He added that it is great news the company was awarded the grant and he is happy the company is moving forward.

Dilworth said he first moved to Big Sandy five years ago working for a friend of his from the military on a cattle ranch. He said he got to know Quinn when he was doing some side work in construction work on Quinn's house. Big Sandy Organic's manager at the time decided to move back to Florida, and Quinn offered him the job of general manager. Dilworth said he has a background in public relations and marketing and Quinn gave him a great opportunity.

Montana grant expands the business

Dilworth said that with the help of Triangle Communications and Bear Paw Development Corp., Big Sandy Organics was able to apply for the grant, submitting it to the Chouteau County commissioners for them to apply to the Montana Department of Commerce. He said the grant will reimburse them for creating three full-time jobs, which will pay a minimum of $15 an hour. The Department of Commerce wants Big Sandy Organics to create good jobs that will support people and the community, he added.

This will double Big Sandy Organics' workforce, which has two full-time and three part-time employees, he said.

In the past two years, Dilworth said, Big Sandy Organics has invested approximately $250,000 in upgrading equipment and the facility in order to keep up with production. The most recent improvement, he said, is a new packaging machine which arrived in November, four months behind schedule. The late arrival of this equipment pushed back their production schedule, but now they are anxious to start renewing contracts, he added.

Dilworth said Big Sandy Organics has a very well-laid out business plan. Last year, during remodeling, the company had to put a hold on new customer acquisitions, he said. But even with the hold and the setback of the packaging machine arriving late, Dilworth said, the company was still able to increase sales by 15 percent with repeat customers.

The grant money awarded to the company will be used in the next round of equipment additions and updates, he said, adding that the company needs a "few more pieces to the puzzle" before finalizing larger contracts.

Dilworth said some of the contracts Big Sandy Organics is working on are to secure a deal with Eden's Food Inc., a world-wide organic food-distributing company based in Michigan. He said Eden's Food would market Big Sandy Organics' Kracklin' Kamut under the Eden brand and distribute it worldwide. He added that Kracklin' Kamut will still be under the ownership of Big Sandy Organics and the company will be mainly using Eden's marketing capacity.

He said Big Sandy Organics is also working on deals with Town Pump Inc. and E-Z Mart to get Kracklin' Kamut in gas stations and convenience stores all across the country.

Dilworth said he had to thank Triangle Communication Economic Development Specialist Anne Boothe and Bear Paw Development, which have been great resources for the company. He added he also had to thank the Chouteau County commissioners, who stepped forward and applied for the grant on the company's behalf.

Bear Paw Development Executive Director Paul Tuss said that Bear Paw has a long-standing relationship with Big Sandy Organics and has watched the company change and grow over the years. He said that Bear Paw was happy to help the company apply for the grant and is happy for the Big Sandy community.

This is the first time the Big Sky Trust Fund Grant has awarded a job creation grant in the region, Tuss added.

"We just feel very lucky to have the local support that we have in the community and throughout the local government," Dilworth said. "It's pretty awesome."

A shift in the agricultural market

Dilworth said the organic movement is growing and has seen a big push in the past five to seven years. Organic snacks in convenience stores is one of the largest growing markets, he said. People want healthy, organic snacks but not many producers are in front of the trend, he added.

People are becoming aware of where their food is grown and becoming conscious of what they are eating, he said.

Producers can make more of a profit off of Kamut than they can off traditional grains, he added. The trend is showing that growers get $3 to $4 a bushel for traditional grain while a bushel of Kamut grain can sell for $25 to $26. He said the two have a significant difference, and even though Kamut and other organics are a little tougher to grow, the market is showing that organics are the future for producers.

Big Sandy Organics makes snacks primarily from the Kamut grain grown on Quinn's farm, Dilworth said, but Quinn's original Kamut grain has spread around the world since he introduced it and its production is still growing.

"We feel really lucky," Dilworth said.

Diversifying the economic base

Tuss said when entrepreneurs are willing to "put some skin in the game" and invest in their local economy, the state of Montana is willing to meet these businesses part way to help them become successful.

He said that even though the $22,500 awarded in the grant may seem modest, and three jobs may not seem to be much, it will allow the company, hopefully, to take the next step forward in ramping up production.

Three jobs in Big Sandy, with a population of about 550 people, is equivalent to more than 500 jobs in Billings, with a population of more than 100,000, Tuss said.

"It's not insignificant," Tuss said.

In a community like Big Sandy, Tuss said, every bit helps the community and a business like Big Sandy Organics investing within its community makes the future bright for the community.

He said companies like Big Sandy Organics make premium goods, harvested and manufactured locally, adding value to the commodity within the state of Montana and the country.

"A tip of the hat to everyone at Big Sandy Organics," he said.

The future is limitless for Montana-based companies with international markets buying Montana products, Tuss said. Products made in Montana and sold outside of the state have always held a level of something special, unique. They invoke emotions of quality and wholesomeness to customers, he added.

"There is something about our state that is pretty cool to the rest of the world, and they're taking advantage of it, as they should," Tuss said.

Hopefully, other small businesses in all of Montana use Big Sandy Organics as a good example to follow, he said.

Tuss said another example of a successful Montana business is Lincoln Holt's Montana Hammer Knives, which has an overload of orders and is not taking new orders at the moment because of the backlog.

While larger employers are important as well, he added, any job creation is important and can't be dismissed.

Small local businesses create a diversity to economy, Tuss said.

"When you diversify your economy, in some ways, you're making your economy more resilient to those factors you can't control," he said.

Tariffs, tax policy and weather are all factors out of people's control in small communities and by broadening the economic base, having growth in the economy two or three jobs at a time with less dramatic growth and less dramatic drops.

"It's much, much better than putting all your eggs in one basket," Tuss said.