EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine August 2020 | Page 21
perfect match for their needs,” he says. “We worked hard to connect
the company to regional and state resources that would and will
help them succeed and to that end, the local and regional support
further helped demonstrate that there is a strong network available
to help them succeed.”
Through job creation and an initial capital investment of $4.3
million in its first year, Future Foods’ investment in the Ormond
Beach area is clear. Doing all this during the COVID-19 pandemic
has slowed sales somewhat,
but the company took the
opportunity to invest even
further in the community by
providing meals to families in
need in partnership with Food
Brings Hope and Daytona
State College Culinary school,
Rademacher adds. “They are
very innovative and looking for
ways to be involved, give back,
and grow the company. It will
be fun to work with them and
help them grow as a company
in Ormond Beach and Volusia
County,” he says.
The company plans to create
50 new jobs over its first three years, and it aims to make those
jobs competitive by “participating in the State of Florida Qualified
Target Industries program,” which incentivizes companies to create
“jobs whose annual salaries exceed the county average,” according
to Keith Norden, President and CEO of Team Volusia Economic
Development Corporation.
All of this investment in the area reflects the
company’s philosophy. According to CEO Alex
Kramarchuk, Future Foods is all about health
and sustainability. “With the world human
population approaching 8 billion people, we
foresee a future that utilizes simple sustainable
plant-based solutions to supplement our current
eating habits,” he says. Copious research
Alex Kramarchuk
shows that plant-based meat production uses
significantly less energy, land, and water than that of conventional
beef, and produces 90% less greenhouse gas. Kramarchuk says,
“We use only ingredients that are grown and processed on U.S.
soil,” a practice that reduces not only transportation costs, but
preservatives, refrigeration, and other concerns.
The Ormond Beach facility will produce Oumph! products
for current Southeastern food service clients, as well as some
Northeastern universities. But Kramarchuk says that growth
beyond that is already in the works. He hopes that the increased
production capabilities from the new facility will create
opportunities for expansion into more products for different
applications and seasonings, as well as a wider market, perhaps
including “frozen retail space at regional supermarkets.”
One of the product’s founding principles is versatility. The
product is offered to foodservice clients in its plainest form as a
plant-protein that can be adapted to mimic beef, chicken, fish,
or pork, says Kramarchuk, rather than pre-packaged for specific
applications such as burgers or breaded chicken. The texture of
Oumph! develops from the cooking method, so chefs can use their
knowledge and experience to adapt it to their own creative dishes.
The adaptability of the product mirrors that of the company.
While many companies have suffered from the unprecedented
business climate of the early part of 2020, Future Foods’ timing and
philosophy turns out to be an asset. Using an existing building on
North U.S. 1, the company was
able to design workspaces with
the recommended COVID-19
health considerations in mind,
including extra space around
work areas and distancing on
the shop floor, Kramarchuk says.
That flexibility in design, along
with existing employee safety
standards and an atmosphere
of respect and recognition have
kept the facility on track to open as originally planned in July of
2020, he explains.
Kramarchuk attributes their forward momentum to Future
Foods’ uncompromising attitude and passion for creating a food
product that benefits people and the planet. “We are all in it
together,” he says, “and we feel that our team shares the same
outlook.”
Through the new Ormond Beach facility, Future Foods’ products
are helping to create a healthier world.
Brigitte Hoarau is an English Professor and
freelance writer. She earned a BA in Film & Video
and an MFA in Creative Writing: Fiction.
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