#49 Scaling Health-Ade Kombucha's Operations with Co-Founder Justin Trout

The Startup CPG Podcast · 21 Jun 2022 · 51m · Episode 26

What this episode covers

Justin Trout, co-founder and former COO of Health-Ade Kombucha, details the company's scaling journey from a farmers market stall to nearly 50,000 retail doors. He explains the strategic decision to self-manufacture due to unique fermentation requirements, the operational challenges of managing a large labor force, and the critical pivot to extending product shelf life to stabilize production. Trout also discusses overcoming a massive supply chain disruption during a major Costco launch and the implementation of an ERP system to replace spreadsheets.

Mentioned

Companies
Health-Ade Kombucha, Costco, First Beverage Group, LivBar, UCLA Anderson
Also
The E-Myth Revisited, Measure What Matters, Essentialism, Crossing the Chasm

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