This one’s for anyone out there who: a) sees a startup as a road to independence, and b) isn’t exactly sure where the onramp is.
BJ and Lacey New are the founders of High Plains Spice Company, with locations in Sterling and Flagler, Colorado.
“How did we get into it? I’m not entirely sure,” he said with a laugh.
Don’t confuse his humility for a lack of focus. “While I had my full-time job, I was always looking for something we could do that was our own,” says BJ. “I can’t hardly do a damn thing in my life without trying to make some money on it somehow!”
He and Lacey both grew up as agricultural kids in Eastern Colorado. “I was big into Future Farmers of America. We were both in 4H,” said BJ. They met in college at the CSU College of Agricultural Sciences in Fort Collins. After graduation, the couple took jobs with other businesses. He was an agronomist, working with farmers and ranchers. Lacey, an animal science major, worked at a hog farm.
Their path from W2 employees to founders/operators of High Plains Spice Company has been a labor of love and grit. Since its official founding 2013, the company has opened two brick-and-mortar locations and is expanding its digital sales. The product line has grown from spices, to coffee, baking mixes, gourmet kitchen tools, specialty oils and beyond.
While growth has certainly been fueled by the premium products and smart strategies, the success of this company is definitively tied to its commitment to give back to the rural community where it’s based.
A Hobby Becomes a Business
It all began in a spare room in the New’s house. An avid barbecuer, BJ was creating his own spice blends and rubs. Lacey, who also loves to cook, would taste test. It was the aughts and they noticed their hobby was trending in the broader culture. Home cooks were becoming more experimental. Global trends in food were reaching small towns, not just big cities.
They began testing the market in 2011 by selling their spice mixes at local craft fairs. The market responded well.
“Figuring out if we could make money from this was a driving force to turning this into a business,” says BJ. “We were discovering a passion that we wanted to share with people. We’re essentially a rural Midwestern community out here [in Northeastern Colorado]. We’re not necessarily known for our food. Bringing a sense of adventure and flavor to our community is definitely important to us.”
Betting on a Bigger Vision
BJ dove into research before he dove into overhead. In 2013, the News were ready to take High Plains Spice Company from craft fairs to full-fledged business. They envisioned primarily an online business.
But selling online and across state lines required a certified kitchen. Once you secure a kitchen, you’re securing space. Rent. Utilities. Visibility. Whatever “store” surrounded that kitchen would no longer be theoretical; it would be a commitment.
“Early on, we worked with our local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for numbers,” said BJ. “They provided regional demographics: ages, incomes, and that sort of info, which was very helpful.”
At the time, the News were living “in the middle of freaking nowhere,” as BJ puts it. Sterling, with a population of roughly 13,000, was the nearest commercial hub, drawing shoppers from rural Northeastern Colorado and Western Nebraska. When BJ’s research revealed that Sterling regularly served more than 60,000 shoppers, the decision became strategic. Sterling would be the first home of High Plains Spice Company.
In a rural market, a storefront isn’t a soft launch. It’s a public commitment. With a background in business, BJ didn’t need “a lot of hand holding” to work the numbers and strategy. Even so, he did access the regional startup ecosystem.
BJ credits Trae Miller, of the Logan County Economic Development Corporation