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Wild Carrot Herbals: Blossoming in Enterprise, Oregon
With the help of: Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership
About
The Challenge
As demand for their artisanal products grew, Wild Carrot Herbals faced the challenge of scaling production to keep up with demand, while maintaining the quality and ethos that had become their hallmark. Initially, Jody believed relocating from Enterprise, Oregon, with a population of 2,100, to a larger facility in Central Oregon was the solution to scale up operations and reduce their 8+ week lead times. OMEP Consultant John Valachovic, part of the MEP National Network™, initiated a comprehensive analysis that included a SWOT analysis; articulation of the brand’s values, vision, and mission; an operational value stream map; and assessed production capability against demand.
John Valachovic and OMEP came into my business life at a crucial time. Feeling some real capacity issues and so busy that I couldn’t rise above the day to day, John V helped me get the perspective that I needed to make grounded, well-researched decisions. OMEP has helped me feel more confident about our growth objectives and stay in our little corner of remote NE Oregon, providing some of the best smelling jobs in Wallowa County to some of the most amazing people.
MEP's Role
OMEP’s analysis revealed that Wild Carrot Herbals was operating at only 25% machine utilization. This inefficiency was causing significant delays and inability for the company to keep up with consumer demand, thus limiting the company’s growth potential. John proposed a shift to a buffered stock model. This approach, tailored for businesses dealing with seasonal raw materials, involved: developing a viable forecast; building product to projected demand; maintaining a 3-month lead time inventory. By implementing this new production model, Wild Carrot Herbals could triple their capacity without additional equipment or space.