HomeMy WebLinkAboutEDL Humm Kombucha Briefing PaperBRIEFING PAPER FOR
Humm Kombucha
Request for Deschutes County Forgivable Loan
June 12, 2014
Number of Employees: 8
Company Request: $ 50,000
EDCO Recommendation: $ 50,000
Proposed Job Creation by end of 2016: 25 full-time family wage jobs
Average Pay for New Employees (all positions, excluding commissions): $ 36,782
Capital Investment: $4,000,000
Industry: Manufacturing, Brewing
Website: www.hummkombucha.com
Company Background:
Humm Kombucha (formerly Kombucha Mama) brews kombucha beverages. Kombucha is a raw, fermented, and
naturally carbonated tea loaded with probiotics and B vitamins.
The family has been brewing kombucha for over 20 years as the recipe was passed down from a mother to a
son, from that son to his wife and from that wife to her best friend.
In February of 2009 Michelle Plantenberg and Jamie Danek started a producing Kombucha in Michelle’s kitchen.
They brewed one gallon at a time to start and in March they sold the first two gallons. Demand quickly grew to
the point where they were no longer able to meet the demand from the kitchen. Total sales that year were
$28,000.
In 2010 they moved into the first commercial production facility. Sales tripled to $82,000 while cost of goods
and expenses decreased. Sales grew to $100,000 in 2011, but lack of capital and production capacity prohibited
substantial growth. In 2012, with 150% growth, additional brewing equipment was purchased from 6-month
advance orders providing the needed capital.
In 2013 the company moved into a new production facility that took them from 500 gallons of output a week to
6,000 gallons per week. Revenue was over $950K with $500K of that coming in Q4 after the new facility opened.
When running at full capacity this facility will be able to produce around $7M in product annually.
In April of 2014 Kombucha Mama rebranded and became Humm Kombucha. The company founders are pushing
into unchartered territory in the kombucha beverage space. This drive has led to the creation of the first
kombucha tasting room in the country, as well as putting kombucha on tap in retail spaces. Further, the
company is raising capital to purchase another facility to grow production to meet growing demand.
Funding from the Deschutes County Forgivable Loan will be used to hire and train 25 new employees with an
average family wage as defined by the Oregon Labor Market Information System (OLMIS) on the date a loan
agreement is executed and to purchase supplies and equipment for expanded production - kegs, bottles, labels,
and caps.
EDCO Recommendation
EDCO is recommending to Deschutes County an award of $2,000 per job for this request for a total forgivable
loan of $50,000.
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Wh at is Humm?
It is a vi bration. It is music. It is the sound of happiness.
Humm is a feeling that goes on and on . To us , it's the rhythm of the un iverse.
Our family has been bre w ing kombuc ha for over 20 years-passed down from a mother to a son, from
that son to his wife , f rom that wife to her best friend an d now to our ever -w ide n i ng circle of fr iends .
From our early days brew ing in ou r kitchen to our newest full-scale brewery, we remain focused on
our values of optimism, healthy business , partnersh i p and quality . We thi n k you 'll taste the difference .
Welcome to Humm Kombuch a.
Sign up for our newsletter an d be notified w h en our new web site l aunches .
http://www.hummkombucha.c o ml 7/3/2014
humm kombucha Page 2 of2
Subscribe
Humm Kombucha
1125 NE 2nd st. Bend, OR 97701
hello@hummkombucha.com
541-306-6329
Our brewery hours for
tasting and grow ler fills are:
Mon . -Sat. 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday Closed
Fo ll ow us on
n
http://www.hummkombucha.com/ 7/3/2014