LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Umpqua Oats, a women-owned, multimillion-dollar innovator and manufacturer of single-serve super premium oatmeal, has continued its strong upward trajectory through 2014. The company reports dramatically expanded distribution and innovative new products in the launch pipeline, all of which will contribute to closing the fiscal year with solid financial growth.
Umpqua Oats has attained success with its creative, single-serve, super premium oatmeal, a breakfast classic updated to match today’s on-the-go lifestyle and consumers’ preferences for bold flavors and super premium ingredients - like the company’s custom-milled rolled oats.
“We are proud of the growth we’ve experienced since launching Umpqua Oats in 2008,” said Sheri Price, co-founder and co-owner. “The company has been profitable since 2010, and has been funded entirely through internally generated cash flow from business operations.”
Soccer Moms Started in Roseburg, OR
Umpqua Oats has become a true American small business success story since it was founded in Roseburg, Oregon by two soccer moms, Mandy Holborow and Sheri Price, who were looking for a quick, tasty and healthy alternative to the typical instant oatmeal packets. The two women started experimenting in Sheri’s kitchen with their husbands and families, and soon the operation moved to the garage, and later to a former department store building, as local coffee shops and grocery stores began selling the oatmeal cups. Sales doubled each year, and in 2013, Umpqua Oats moved its headquarters to Las Vegas and its manufacturing to Los Angeles in order to take advantage of a larger pool of labor and better air travel connections to support a national sales effort. This year, the company is on track to generate more than $10 million in sales revenue.
According to the Center for Women’s Business Research, women-owned businesses have an economic impact of $3 trillion that translates into the creation and/or maintenance of 23 million jobs, accounting for 16 percent of all U.S. jobs.
“We are committed to growing Umpqua Oats beyond its valued customer base of local coffee shops, in order to ignite a greater economic impact,” said Mandy Holborow, co-founder and co-owner. “The company is currently working to expand its retail sales point and reach more consumers across the U.S.”
In 2014, Umpqua Oats made its first significant foray into the grocery trade with impressive results. Distribution is currently concentrated in the western U.S. (stores include Fred Meyer, Albertsons, QFC, Kroger, New Seasons Markets and many others), and plans call for substantial nationwide expansion during the fourth quarter of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015. To assist with the national grocery distribution rollout strategy, Umpqua Oats recently engaged the services of Aisle 9, a nationally recognized grocery sales management and marketing firm.
The company’s expansion is further supported by a joint venture with a major U.S. food manufacturer operating a state-of-the-art Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level One manufacturing facility in the Los Angeles area. This facility has the capacity to meet the company’s projected growth over the next five years.
Umpqua Oats super premium oatmeal is currently sold at 2,000 retail outlets across the United States. For more information or to order online, visit www.umpquaoats.com.
About Umpqua Oats
Umpqua Oats super premium oatmeal is a satisfying, on-the-go breakfast choice for people who crave a hearty, delicious and creative meal to start every day. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Umpqua Oats is one of the first purveyors to provide a quick-cooking single-serve oatmeal product that uses high-quality, flavorful ingredients for taste and satiety. Founded in 2008 in Roseburg, Oregon, by two moms, Umpqua Oats super premium oatmeal is available in a variety of unique flavors. For more information, please visit www.UmpquaOats.com or www.Facebook.com/UmpquaOats or follow us on Twitter @UmpquaOats.
