Founder Spotlight: Trevor Hitch (VEDGEco)
Meet Trevor Hitch
Company:
VEDGEco is the first national plant-based wholesaler in the U.S. We empower businesses to make uncompromisingly delicious plant-based dishes by shipping frozen plant-based products in bulk nationwide to the restaurant and wholesale food industry.
Startup Stage:
Aquired
Location:
The team is virtual, located across 11 states from coast to coast. I am based in Hawaii.Kailua, Hawaii
When did you launch the business?
August 2020
What led you to where you are today?
I’ve been vegan since I was 19, and during my decade-long career in food service manufacturing and sales, I noticed a lack of plant-based options within the industry. It was especially difficult for smaller independent restaurants outside of major metropolitan areas to get plant-based products. I launched VEDGEco to solve that problem and to bring freedom of food choice to independent restaurants nationwide.
What do you wish you knew before embarking on your entrepreneurial journey?
Don’t underestimate the value of strategic partnerships. Those relationships have contributed to our success in countless ways. You can’t do it all yourself. Community is also tremendously important. There’s something about being in the plant-based space--we’re all working towards the same mission. That inspires me and my team every day.
What is the most difficult decision you've had to make regarding your business so far?
We launched the business right in the middle of the pandemic. Originally, we were focused on serving both consumers and restaurants, but we realized that in order to be the best possible plant-based partner to our independent restaurant and food service clients, we had to shift to sell by the wholesale case.
What can you help the VEGPRENEUR community with?
With my background in food service manufacturing, sales and new product development, I can help plant-based food companies with supply chain challenges, marketing, and customer retention.
How can the VEGPRENEUR community help you?
Support and feedback! I want to do everything I can to make our customer’s lives easier and to be able to expand their plant-based offerings, so it’s helpful to get honest feedback about our products and business model. I’m also interested in reaching potential investors as the company grows.
Fun fact about you:
I've lived in Hawaii for 10 years but I'm just now learning to surf.
Anything else you would like to share?
When it’s a passion project (which is how VEDGEco started), you don’t cut corners. We are doing the right thing by choice, not because we have to.
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