Made in Marietta: Success story - Marietta College

Made in Marietta: Success story
Big break comes with new ownership, tie-in with Coleman brand
August 18, 2011
By Brad Bauer (bbauer@mariettatimes.com) , The Marietta Times
It wasn't that long ago that Marietta College graduate Keegan Haid was the only employee at a
local company struggling to gain recognition and space on store shelves.
With new ownership, new licensing agreements and a growing staff,
Enertia Trail Foods, located in the Broughton business complex off
Ohio 821 near Marietta, has gone from producing 17,000 packages
of dehydrated camp-ready meals and snacks a year to more than
250,000 so far this year. Sales are expected to top 500,000 by the
end of the year - a growth of more than 2,500 percent.
"The trend has been an additional 1,000 orders each week," said
Haid, site supervisor. "In three weeks, we're now selling more than
we sold in all of last year."
Haid said the growth is being driven by a major investment in
supplies and equipment from new owner Golden State International
Imports Inc., of Alameda, Calif., and a license agreement with
Coleman, one of the most known and trusted names in camping and
outdoor gear.
"With the exception of food, if it was hiking or camping
related, Coleman pretty much had their stamp on it," Haid
said. "Rather than start from scratch, a few years ago they
put out a bid to all the different trail food competitors
looking for someone to license with them."
Haid said Coleman ultimately selected Marietta-made
Enertia Trail Foods, which in addition to its own lines,
now produces dozens of camp- or trail-ready meals and
snacks for Coleman.
All of the products are prepared, packaged and shipped from the Marietta site.

The products are available online, at major retailers including Walmart and Target, and at
sporting goods stores. The dehydrated meals and snacks typically cost less than $5. Some of the
more popular meals or snacks include "Little Rock Trail Mix," "Dirt and Worms" and "Cilantro
Lime Rice with Pintos."
When mixed with water, the Dirt and Worms is a creamy
chocolate pudding with crumbled cookie "dirt" and
gummy worms. Desserts aside, most of the dehydrated
meals were developed with proper nutrition in mind for
active outdoors lifestyles.
Haid said he's proud of his products but even more so
when he learns where they go.
"We've had people send us photos of them with our
products on the top of (Mount) Everest," he said. "That
really makes you feel good. It tells me people believe in
our products as much as we believe in them."
The company currently has six full-time employees but
Haid said he anticipates hiring up to 20 more employees
this year and he is considering adding a second shift at the
growing business.
Four of the company's current employees are Marietta
College graduates, including shipping manager Kevin
Paskawych, a 2005 grad from Norwich, N.Y.
Fact Box
About Enertia Trail Foods
Location: Broughton business
complex, Ohio 821, Marietta.
Number of employees: Six.
Opened: 2008 in Marietta.
Products: A variety of dehydrated
snacks and meals for camping and
hiking.
For more information about
Enertia Trail Foods:
www.trailfoods.com
"We have a lot of common ground and understanding from our days at Marietta (College)," he
said. "We communicate well and we're having fun and doing something we all seem to enjoy and
that's probably the most important thing."
Haid, a 2008 MC grad, said he got involved in the business after his former neighbor, Chris
Pfeiffer, brought the business to Marietta in 2008. Pfeiffer sold the business last November to
Golden State International Imports, but still consults with the group occasionally, Haid said.
Haid said he is committed to quality which he has worked hard to maintain despite such
tremendous growth.
"It was intimidating to see the orders and contracts from some of these box stores," he said. "It's
easy to say you can make an order deadline but you can't say you can (make a deadline) and just
hope you do. You have to make sure you can but also maintain quality, which we are doing."