absolute length, we’re aiming for the right length and that ties back to our creedo: ‘We aren’t trying to make food last forever, we are trying to make it last long enough to get eaten.’” The technology even fixes ‘ethylene crosstalk’ issues. Crosstalk prevents certain produce from being shipped with other produce since doing so speeds up the ripening process of some fruits and vegetables. “Our technology allows us to mix and match shipments,” Mouat said. “We have a customer that violates every rule of shipping by transporting all kinds of produce together, but because he has our product, that’s not a problem.” The product doesn’t require users to change their shipping and packing practices. “That is something they customers
Mouat sad. “Having that philosophy is what guided us, and as a result, it was harder to fail.” What’s in a Name? After a free-association brainstorming session, the group chose the name ‘Hazel’ because it’s a color that helps reaffirm the company’s commitment to green chemistry without directly using the ‘green’ moniker evoked by so many other start- ups. “We really want to remind people that we are trying to promote a technology that is sustainable and eco-friendly,” Mouat said. “There are also naturopathic associations with the name,” he added, making reference to hazel plant and nut. Perhaps one of the more interesting
have focused on developing relationships with their existing customers, prepping them for a full rollout of the product once they pass the company’s pilot stage. Mouat said this allows them to control of production quality and volume while also allowing them to collect real-time commercial data. The data they collect will let their customers know definitively that Hazel is doing the right thing and helping their business. When the time comes, a large part of the $2.5 million in funding they will get as a result of participating in Western Growers’ first Ag Sharks’ event will provide the Hazel team with the needed capital to engage in serious expansion efforts. “We’re hiring new folks in January and doubling
up on our production to fill customer demand,” Mouat said. “By summer, we expect to be hitting the market in a much bigger way, because of the visibility and money we got through When asked about where he sees the company in five years, Mouat said he hopes their global strategy will allow their technology to have a presence around the world, particularly in target areas like Latin America, Southeast Asia, Brazil, the European Union Ag Sharks.” The Future
can really appreciate it,” Mouat said. “We want to work with them instead of forcing them to work with us.” One thing that will positively change for customers who use Hazel’s technology is their ability to reach new markets, particularly in Asia. Export crops typically generate more value than domestic crops due to better overseas prices, but the longer transit times are a challenge. “We have had a lot of customers get very excited about being
Hazel Technologies CEO Aidan Mouat in the lab
able to throw our sachet in their box and get their product overseas with minimal freighting charges and maximum quality,” Mouat said. Surprisingly, the technology is something the founders nailed on their first iteration, never having to go back and tamper with the original invention. Mouat attributes some of that success to luck but believes it is mostly because the team employed a ‘Keep it simple’ philosophy during development. Instead of being tempted to delve into more sophisticated engineering, they chose to work with nature’s most basic molecules keeping their customer’s bottom line in mind. Finding a cost effective solution was necessary to make their technology practical. “Our technology had to be cheap, effective and durable and had to be something we can mass manufacture because ag is one of the highest volume industries on the planet,”
reasons for the use of ‘Hazel’ is that it also happens to be Adam’s grandmother’s name. “That made it relatable and personal for all of us,“ Mouat said. In the end, they knew they got the right name when people started referring to the technology simply as ‘Hazel.’ “When you get that kind of brand stickiness, it’s clearly resonating with the customers, so we weren’t going to change anything.” Growth fromWestern Growers’ Ag Sharks Investment The company is still currently in the process of scaling up its operations, in addition to working through some manufacturing limitations and regulatory hurdles before it can make a move to become more publicly visible. Mouat believes they should be able to openly sell the product on the open market sometime this summer. In the meantime, the co-founders
and Oceania. He also sees it being an important technology for emerging markets that have a lot of arable land and little or no refrigeration or transportation infrastructure, such as in Africa, India and China. “Being able to create drop-in technologies that can help extend produce shelf life without having to make multi- trillion dollar investments in infrastructure is a very powerful and lucrative tool that can help prop up agriculture and develop export markets in any emerging economy,” he said. Continuing with his vision for the future, Mouat added, “One day, I’d love to see every case of specialty produce sold on the planet have a little stamp on the side of the box saying, ‘Protected by Hazel Technologies.’ And that will tell people where the quality and freshness is coming from.”
33
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2018
Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs