FEB. 12-18, 2024 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 15 Askinosie Chocolate founder and CEO Shawn Askinosie recently embarked on his 50th origin trip to meet with farmers in the Philippines city of Davao, where the chocolate is sourced for the candy bar of the same name. He met with lead farmer partner Peter Cruz and his team to look over operations and review profit-sharing. “It’s all part of a program we pioneered in the cocoa business called direct trade. We patterned it after coffee,” Askinosie says. “The most important thing is on these trips, I profit-share with the farmers. It’s about relationships.” Askinosie Chocolate doesn’t stop with profit-sharing. The company is often busy helping to feed malnourished children with school lunch programs, and the company’s Chocolate University allows students to participate in an experiential learning program designed to help them be better global citizens. SBJ: What are the ingredients that go into the Davao white chocolate bar? Shawn Askinosie: The first main ingredient is cocoa butter that we make from scratch. The cocoa butter is from our beans that we get from Davao. The cocoa content, if I’m not mistaken, it’s 34%, which is very high for white chocolate, but it gives it a creamier texture. What we do is we put ground-up cocoa beans in a hydraulic press. We press the cocoa butter out and that’s very, very unusual in the chocolate world for a chocolate maker to make their own cocoa butter. There probably is another in the United States, but I’m not aware of it. The second ingredient would be dairy. We use goat’s milk. I like the sort of caramel note that goat’s milk has. When combined with the cocoa butter and sugar, then it’s a nice kind of caramel note. The third and the only other ingredient is organic sugar. SBJ: You’ve seen a renewed interest in white chocolate. What has brought that on? Askinosie: There was a press mention, Bon Appétit. Their quote was, “White chocolate haters, this bar might change your mind.” That was in April of last year. When we started doing this like 18 years ago, there were only two or three of us in the United States making chocolate from the bean in the craft, small-batch world. We were the only ones and the first ones to make small-batch white chocolate, but over time, a lot of people have made it, and so, it’s become more popular. I think that’s part of it, too. When the first of anything comes around, it takes a minute to catch on. SBJ: Why do you manufacture your products in the Ozarks? Askinosie: I’ve seen lines out the door in New York, San Francisco, and I’m like, “Dang, that’s cool.” But that passes pretty quickly when I start thinking about the business side of it, which is the real estate costs. The real estate costs are just exorbitant. I don’t even see how they do it. We could go someplace else, but I’m so rooted here because I grew up here. I can list a whole bunch of reasons why it’s an awesome place, but for me, personally, I think it has to do with the roots that I have here, combined with the community we have. I’ve never visited a place that’s more compassionate and giving. When you combine that with the rooted nature that I feel from this place, I can’t imagine doing it someplace else. Interview by Digital Editor Geoff Pickle. Owner: Shawn Askinosie and Lawren Askinosie Employees: 21 Founded: 2005 Web: Askinosie.com Instagram: @askinosie 2023 revenue: Would not disclose Product pricing: $10 Davao, Philippines White Chocolate Bar Shawn Askinosie COOLEST THINGS Owner: Tyler and Jada Dooling Employees: 2 Founded: 2022 Web: AllRoadsTaken.com Instagram: @allroadstakenofficial 2023 revenue: Would not disclose Product pricing: $20 range The All Roads Taken Adventure Badges, a meticulously designed, laser-engraved metal badge, is a testament to the Dooling family’s passion for exploration and innovation. Constructed using durable, weather-resistant materials, each badge serves as a customizable memento that can be affixed to vehicles or showcased at home on framed pictures or as a magnet. Accompanied by an online platform that tracks adventures, the All Roads badges mark significant milestones for explorers’ journeys nationwide. SBJ: What inspired this product? Tyler Dooling: My wife Jada and I, along with our two boys, love the adventure travel space. I’ve also been in software design for a long time, and I set a goal to develop, build and release a physical product in 2022. During a trip to Colorado, we decided to go for it, to design a product around our travels. In addition to the badge, we built an online platform where you can build your travel log, view a map of all the places you’ve visited, and see where your adventures have sprawled. SBJ: How did you come up with the design? Tyler: It comes down to being a tactical decision. We wanted it to be aesthetically pleasing on a large variety of surfaces, have a small profile, and not a lot of lift, but enough that it looks like a higher-end decal. We wanted something that would scale across different types of activities, plus be customizable while still maintaining a consistent design and aesthetic, and visually consistent. Jada Dooling: We wanted it to be classy enough to give to your grandma, but also rugged enough to go where you go, depending on your state of travel. You can buy the badges with two pieces and put them anywhere, like as a magnet on your refrigerator or to add to a framed photo of your travels. SBJ: What does the manufacturing process look like? Tyler: We knew our guideposts: Keep it in the United States in terms of sourcing materials and processes, working with manufacturers, inventory, etc. That is difficult to do, and we are proud to say our product is 100% made in the USA. We found two vendors, one in Washington and one in Michigan, to build each part and decided to do the final manufacturing ourselves right here in Springfield, Missouri. We receive those component, then 3M adhesive components, and as orders come in, whether online generated or bulk, we laser engrave each badge as they are ordered. SBJ: How are sales and marketing going? Jada: We knew the off-road space and the camping world has a desire for this, so we started making partnerships within the industry. Those were the key groups that got us started. Our first launch event was at The Moore Expo [at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds], where we set up a booth, had our product, and got our feet wet. Then we began branching out and partnering with people who put together Overland Trails, like Georgia Traverse and Florida Adventure Trail. It was a lot of word of mouth in 2023, and in 2024 we’re taking a stronger approach in social media and working with a marketing company so we can continue expanding on a national level. Tyler: We want to have badges available where people can buy in the moment, like at state parks and national parks locations. Getting into those distribution channels is our No. 1 goal for 2024. Interview by Contributing Writer Nicole Chilton. Tyler Dooling Jada Dooling ALL ROADS TAKEN Adventure Badges ASKINOSIE CHOCOLATE LLC
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