BOOK REVIEW
In Search of the Wild Tofurky
By Seth Tibbott with Steve Richardson
Tofurky Founder and Chairman Seth Tibbott shares how he (a self-described hippie without business training) grew a $2,500 startup into a global vegan brand. The book is not geared towards individuals with a goal of building a successful vegan food company to have investors buy it out. The focus is on ethical entrepreneurs who want to do good. Mixed in, you'll read an interesting autobiography.
This book is a must read for every business major, those who want to understand the history of the natural foods and vegan movements, and individuals interested in the struggles of ethical decision making in business. When beginning his company, Tibbot attended a Small Business Administration training, but gave the wrong answer when he stated he wanted to do good, not just make money.
The book starts with Tibbott's childhood, including that his parents encouraged him to be creative, to stick with what he took on, to value family and community, as well as to have fun and enjoy life. Tibbott recognizes his upbringing laid a solid foundation that eventually led to his "overnight" success, which took years and years. His older brother's early financial and other support was crucial in the company surviving and growing.
One year, Tibbott visited The Farm in Tennessee and purchased his first tempeh spores. He began to manufacture tempeh in bulk and went on to create Turtle Island Soy Dairy. Initially his tempeh was sold in co-ops and restaurants near where he lived in Oregon.
His first break occurred in 1981, when Applegate Foods Natural Foods Distributor agreed to carry his tempeh. At that time he had three products: soy tempeh, five grain tempeh, and tempehroni (a sausage roll). Applegate ordered "large" quantities and soon a bigger production space was needed. His brother's investment dollars allowed him to purchase new equipment to produce more.
In 1985 someone offered to buy out his company for $25,000 and Tibbott turned down the offer. The book explains why he did not seek outside investors, borrowing money from family members and eventually banks.
He began hiring people with better expertise and the business skills he knew he lacked. Tibbott states, "There comes a point when the long-term dream turns into a real-life business that is just not as cool as the dream."
In 1991, Tibbott married and moved his company to a larger location: the Port of Hood River, OR. The new shop was five times bigger and sales steadily increased. They began to test new products, some of which failed. The book explains why these items flopped or were later reconfigured.
The first version of Tofurky was produced with Higher Taste in Portland, OR, in 1995. At first it was difficult to get stores to carry Tofurky; 500 frozen Tofurkys were sold that year for Thanksgiving. Tibbott liked the name "Tofurky" because it was catchy and funny. Though others were adamantly against the name, he stuck with his gut.
Turns out the media was drawn to the name as well. Oregon Public Broadcasting picked up the Tofurky story, as well his local channel 8. The media helped to get stores to carry Tofurky into the Christmas season and a total of 818 Tofurky sold that year.
Feedback on the first Tofurky led to the second version in 1996. Tibbott knew they had to improve the product's texture after it was frozen and thawed. By the second year, Tofurky was distributed on the East Coast as well and sold 1,500. In 1997, a third version of Tofurky was produced combining tofu with gluten. Orders increased to 18,000 and in 1998 the company began offering Tofurky deli slices year-round. By 1998, Turtle Island sales were over $1 million. In 2006 the millionth Tofurky was sold!
The Tofurky Co. currently sells 35 vegan products on six continents. The company is still family-owned and independent, with sales over S100 million. Parallel to The Vegetarian Resource Group's experience, Tofurky's success is certainly due to many contributors and supporters with similar ethical values. You can see how each customer, employee, and supporting business made a difference in Tofurky's success. If you are thinking of developing a vegan food product, learning about the vegan market, or reading about pioneers of vegetarian products, this book is a terrific read.
In Search of the Wild Tofurky (ISBN: 978-1-63576-653-0) is a 235-page hardcover book. It is published by Diversion Books and retails for $26.99.
Reviewed by Debra Wasserman.
