Nest Practices
Cracking the organic market at the right time was key to this egg farmer's success.
Entrepreneur: Cyd Szymanski, 48, founder of Nest Fresh Eggs Inc.
in Denver
Description: Producer and distributor of cage-free,
organic shell and liquid/frozen eggs
Startup: $28,000 for the first flock of chickens in 1991
2005
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Projected sales: Over $5 million walking on eggshells:
After enduring a childhood filled with the daily rigors of farm
life, Cyd Szymanski vowed never to do anything farm-related again.
But when her father and brother called her in 1991 with a
captivating idea--producing cage-free eggs--Szymanski agreed to
market the new business. She didn't agree, however, to be left
fully in charge with $68,000 in debt after her family backed out a
year later.
Hard-boiled: Determined not to crack under pressure,
Szymanski immediately set to work winning customers. She convinced
reluctant dairy managers at King Soopers supermarkets throughout
Colorado to carry her product, assuring them she would assume the
cost of any broken, bad or unsold eggs. The managers agreed, her
eggs sold, and orders doubled. "We were on the cusp of organic
product growth," says Szymanski. Nest Fresh Eggs products are
now carried in major markets and health-food stores in 11
states.
Happy hens: Szymanski's hard work has not only freed
chickens, but farmers as well. By outsourcing some production, she
has enabled 10 local farmers to continue farming. This holds
special significance for Szymanski, whose own family lost their
farm when she was young. "We need people connected to the
earth and the animals, who can do a job that's hard," says
Szymanski. "Part of what we strive for is happy hens, happy
humans."