Profile
Business: Friends Trading Co.
Address: 2100 E. 112th Ave., Suite 6, Northglenn
Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Founded:1975
Contact:303-424-8142
Employees:11
Interview with Margy Dalpes, CFO
Q: How did you get involved in this business?
A: We were growing bedding plants and houseplants in greenhouses in Arvada when we became aware of wheatgrass and the potential benefits from juicing it. We started growing some for ourselves for juicing and thought to check out whether there was a wholesale market for wheatgrass and discovered that there indeed was. We started selling to Vitamin Cottages, Alfalfa’s and various juice bars around town. We then got in with Wild Oats and several organic distributors. We expanded into additional shoots and baby greens and, after a couple of years, quit growing other things and focused on organic foods.
Q: What distinguishes you from other businesses in your category?
A: We have been “hands on” with all of our products and all of our customers. We have vast experience in growing in a variety of mediums and conditions. We also work hard to be as sustainable as possible.
Q: What do you like best about your line of work?
A: What we enjoy most is knowing that we are producing healthy, quality food for people all over the region and contributing to their health and well-being.
Q: What is your business’ biggest challenge?
A: This is very labor-intensive work. Plants need attention 365 days a year, some of our systems are automated as much as they can be, but it still takes a lot of human labor to produce, package and deliver the products. The profit margin in this field is quite small, so it’s difficult to be able to afford quality benefits for our crew.
Q: Something people might be surprised to learn about you or your business:
A: As we look back over the time we’ve been in business, something that feels gratifying to us is the number of people we have employed. Over the years, we have employed friends, siblings, our son and daughter, nieces, nephews, the sons and daughters of countless friends and neighbors. In several cases, we have employed two generations in the same families.