kirstie McLellan Day kirstie McLellan Day - The MOMpreneur

internatiOnal business
A Fresh Perspective
on International Business
Q&A with Susan Niczowski, President, Summer Fresh Salads Inc.
Cilantro Tabouli Salad…Sweet Potato Hummus…
Grilled Peach Bruschetta…is your mouth watering yet?
Susan Niczowski knows a thing or two about how to
make your taste buds tingle. She also knows more than
a thing or two about growing a thriving international
business in today’s competitive food industry.
For nearly 20 years, Summer Fresh Salads Inc. has been
providing consumers with a sophisticated selection of
salads, dips and soups, all conveniently available at local
grocery stores. Susan and her mother first launched Summer
Fresh Salads in a 3,000 square foot facility; today, their
products are made in a 63,000 square foot facility and are
distributed throughout North America. The company
has been recognized with a number of prestigious awards
from the food industry and business community – in 2007,
Summer Fresh was named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed
Companies. Susan herself continues to place high on the
Canadian Business magazine’s “Profit W 100” list.
Susan recently took time out of her busy schedule to answer
a few questions for us about Summer Fresh and how she built
her international business…
Q: Why did you and your mother start Summer
Fresh Salads?
My mother, my sister Mary and I all felt that there was a need
in the market for fresh, all natural, ready-prepared salads and
dips with no additives and no preservatives. Back in 1991,
products such as those in the Summer Fresh line were only
available at white tablecloth restaurants. We wanted to see
them in the specialty and grocery stores and we believed that
Summer Fresh could fill that need.
To secure funding for our first plant, I took out a loan from
RBC. Production started within a few weeks of possession.
Q: What are the benefits of building a business with
a family member?
Having trust and similar work ethics are two advantages to
working with family.
Q: Were you confident that people would buy your
products over those from a well-known brand?
We really believed in what we were manufacturing. Our
products were great tasting, fabulous looking and people
could not believe you could buy them in the refrigerated deli
section in stores. People told us that they tasted better than
homemade too – and there was no fuss or muss.
On the grocery/specialty store side of things, we make it
possible to set up a fresh deli counter in less than 20 minutes
with an array of more than 20 items including a large
assortment of prepared salads – how else could you do that?
22 MOMpreneur ® � July/August 2010