Cranking Up Production
For Cheryl Zealand, inspiration arrived in a pot of cold oatmeal.
At the time, her twins were 2 and her older child was 7 years old. With the children’s needs pressing, the oatmeal she’d made earlier in the day had been forgotten. When she returned to it, its dried-out state made her think it might be nice to have something more like an oatmeal bar that wouldn’t dry out as quickly.
“I always ate protein bars,” said Zealand, but she found she wasn’t feeling full or energized afterwards. As a busy mom, she wanted something that was grab-and-go, satisfying, healthy and delicious.
She found it, “72 formulations later,” she said of the tinkering it took to produce the right bar for her and her family. It turns out that what was right for them has been right for her customers.
Part of Zealand’s strategy has been offering samples of her bars at races, Cross Fit competitions, golf tournaments and other community events, embracing everyone from high-performance athletes to seniors. It’s easy to improve your nutritional intake flavourfully with options including Apple Cinnamon, Banana, Choco-Espresso, Maple Walnut and more.
Marc Lavalée is a strength coach at the Canadian Forces Base, not far from Cranked’s 1853 Portage Ave. storefront. He popped in to buy a few boxes of the bars, sharing what he likes best about them. “I trust the product. I like that they’re made locally with healthy ingredients,” he said, adding that he uses them both personally and with the clients he trains, incorporating them pre- and post-workout as needed. His favourites are the Peanut Butter Coconut and the Salted Caramel Pretzel flavours.
Zealand’s strategy has also been one of measured growth. Green Carrot was the first place her bars were sold five years ago. Now they’re found in more than 40 retail locations. She relies on her instincts and persistence – and her education and experience as a Chartered Professional Accountant.
A slightly slower path allows for work and family to coexist, including keeping storefront hours for the public between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. “I’ve struggled. I’ve made mistakes. But I know if it doesn’t feel right, I don’t do it.”
The time is right for a big move. On August 1, Cranked Energy is expanding into a 4000 sq. ft. production facility complete with large-scale auto-packaging machinery. Zealand remains committed to producing a fresh product. Refrigerated, the bars have a shelf life of six weeks.
“That’s not something I would give on,” she said of staying true to whole ingredients without artificial preservatives. She has researched thermal boxes for shipping to ensure distribution time does not affect quality.
She also remains committed to community. “I want give back to my customers and invest in a healthy lifestyle for everyone.”
All photos provided by Cranked Energy – Thumbnail – Cheryl Zealand
