Innovation

Wholly Wholesome is innovative in multiple ways believing that the innovation comes from a “desire to put in as much organic as possible.” That was Doon Wintz, the CEO’s vision when the family business launched Wholly Wholesome in 1996. He wanted to provide natural baked goods where the consumer did not have to sacrifice their taste standards for their ingredient standards. The consumer and his/her betterment are the key to their success. Every new product that is being launched is either because they believe there is a lack in the market or because people demanded the creation of such product. What makes Wholly Wholesome so special is also its vision for its own future. It is looking to build good products and provide consumers with even more choices, which comes with expansion. That is why, they are looking for new brands to be associated with or launch their own.

Inspiration

The inspiration came when an idea was brought to light: create simple, better, and healthier goods for the consumers. It generated countless ideas on how to create such products. The original idea came about when the founder believed that their food can make an impact: “The consumer should have the right to consume food that tastes good.” That is why inspiration comes from the vision that natural goods and baked goods should be only one. As Mr. Wintz says, “Dedicated natural food consumers might have differences in what they are willing to put in their body, but what is considered “good tasting” is pretty commonly accepted. An incredible croissant will be universally liked”. Therefore, while a natural food devotee may be willing to eat something that doesn’t taste as good to avoid artificial ingredients, they’d much prefer something that tastes great and is natural and organic.

Overall impact

Wholly Wholesome, being a profitable company, is weighing the challenge between sustainability and the profitability. For example, it sells pies which are not 100% organic because it would involve a 75% premium on the price and customers are not financially ready. That is why, it has to consider all stakeholders involved. It is now functioning in two paths of being able to offer its products to the consumers at competitive prices as well as keeping its corporate vision of providing the better and organic goods. An issue on palm oil was addressed by the CEO, but the price of replacing the components of the products can be very costly. As a result, he chose to get supplies from organizations that harvest environmental sustainable palm oils that are certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, or the RSPO. This label certifies that his suppliers are reliable and are harvesting palm oil in a responsible way that does not harm the Planet nor its ecosystem. Wintz also is trying to use 100% recycled boxes when packing the products to be more environmentally sustainable, which will not affect the quality of the products themselves.

Business benefit

The decision to transform the purpose of Wholly Wholesome did have an impact on the company itself as its engagement for natural and organic backed food also implied changes in its organization. The challenge is to find the equilibrium between being sustainable and profitable. It avoids producing excessive new materials and instead reuse the pre-existing products for another use. Moreover, they use co-packers that produce their goods according to their standards. When Wholly Wholesome wanted to launch the allergy-friendly products, they created a joint-venture with a company to make sure the production facilities were up to date and adapted to such products and free of allergens such as wheat, dairy and nuts. Thus, there is no need to worry for cross-contamination, and they are assured that the goods will be produced the way they want them to be, and on time.

Social and environmental benefit

Wholly Wholesome tracks its triple bottom line, which also includes the social and environmental aspects. Socially, the firm possesses an “education team”, Rewco, whose role is to educate retailers about natural food. They teach them how to understanding it and what it involves, but also how to catch up with customers and how to be ahead of the trend. This has a long-term effect, as retailers should be aware of the environment in which they operate and thus change how they do business.

The CEO’s personal involvement with the sustainability movement is exhibited by his tenure with Community Earth, an organization begun to help foster the Unity Charter school in Morristown, NJ, a K-8 school whose curriculum is built on the concept of sustainability. Once the school was established, the goal was to bring the good news of sustainability to the community at large. Finally, the CEO tries to incorporate sustainability as much as possible in his production process (efficient packaging, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, certifications labels).

Interview

Doon Wintz, CEO