# Stonyfield Yogurt: Gary Hirshberg

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2017-10-02
- Length: 59m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg

## Summary

Gary Hirshberg, co-founder of Stonyfield Yogurt, recounts the company's journey from a nonprofit side project in a drafty New Hampshire barn to a $100 million brand sold to Danone. He details the near-death experiences of the early years, including maxing out credit cards, borrowing from family, and surviving a factory seizure by a co-packer. The episode highlights the strategic pivot to outsourcing production, the desperate fundraising for a new factory, and the eventual sale to Lactalis for $875 million.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=0) Introduction: Gary Hirshberg and Stonyfield's Origins
- [8:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=498) Early Days: From Nonprofit to First Sales
- [14:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=879) Cash Flow Crisis and Family Financing
- [23:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=1399) Breaking into Retail: Bread and Circus
- [33:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=1981) Capacity Constraints and Outsourcing Disaster
- [40:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=2433) The Vermont Deal That Wasn't and SBA Rescue
- [48:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=2880) Return to Profitability and Organic Roots
- [49:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2017-10-02-stonyfield-yogurt-gary-hirshberg#t=2945) Exit Strategy: Selling to Danone and Lactalis

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Stonyfield Yogurt (product)
- Danone (company)
- Lactalis (company)
- Bread and Circus (company)
- Market Basket (company)
- SBA (company)
- Bank of New England (company)
- New Alchemy Institute (company)
- Hampshire College (company)
- Sheraton (company)
- Disney (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Creative Home Engineering (company)

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- [Founder Feature: Ehime Eigbe-Akindele of Sweet Kiwi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-02-07-founder-feature-ehime-eigbe-akindele-of-sweet-kiwi) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Dina DiCenso of RIND](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-06-06-founder-feature-dina-dicenso-of-rind) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Charlie Gentry of TruJoy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-10-25-founder-feature-charlie-gentry-of-trujoy) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Bringing Froyo Back, Building in Public, and Why Pressure is a Privilege - Ashley Whalen of Chara](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-05-29-founder-feature-bringing-froyo-back-building-in-public-and-why-pressure-is-a-pri) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

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