Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emre Imamoglu, CEO of Cibo Vita, located in Totowa, NJ, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Cibo Vita is a snack food company. Our customers are those who want to indulge in healthy snacking – adults and children. We sell through our online store and major retailers. Cibo Vita’s origins were producing private-label healthy snacks, which consisted of dried fruit and nut combinations for supermarkets. Nature’s Garden is the company’s flagship brand, launched in 2011. The company holds the following certifications: Keto, RSPO, UTZ, Kosher, Organic, Paleo, and Gluten-Free. Our manufacturing, distribution, product development, warehouse facilities, and corporate offices are based in Totowa, NJ.
Tell us about yourself
Founded in 2009, Cibo Vita was the dream of my business partner Ahmet Celik and me. We are originally from Turkey and met in the United States and had the same vision regarding food. Cibo Vita (which means Food for Life) was conceived using the same lifestyle principles we learned growing up in Turkey. Healthy snacks with the attitude that “food can fix it” and to “snack with a purpose.” The company’s mission is to continuously create innovative products that promote functionality, digestive wellness, and heart health, as well as offer products that are energy-boosting. We have over 2000 products containing various combinations of nuts, seeds, dried fruit, trail mixes, coated nuts, and better-for-you chocolates.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
There is no one accomplishment that we are proud of. We have been bestowed with many industry awards for our innovative snack foods. Most recently, I was the recipient of the New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Ernst & Young. We have devoted financial resources to our research and development to create the most unique and healthy snack foods on the market. And we employ hundreds of associates in the State of New Jersey. Our products are sold nationwide in supermarkets, big boxes, drug chains, health food, and convenience stores, as well as warehouse clubs.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the hardest things is to know when to expand and make internal investments. With a recent move to a state-of-the-art facility, we purchased very expensive equipment for production as well as for roasting, mixing, and packaging. We expanded our marketing, R&D, E-commerce, and sales departments with seasoned executives. While the pandemic caused much disruption across the globe, Cibo Vita was proactive in testing and vaccinating all employees while simultaneously maintaining strong, established relationships with our suppliers.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Feel passionate about what you do.
- Conceive a product or service that fills a need.
- Find mentors to help guide you.
- Conduct market research.
- Build a trustworthy team of people smarter than you.
- Have humility.
- Be open to criticism and learning.
- Combine meaningful purpose with your financial goals.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://naturesgarden.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturesgardenus/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturesgardenus/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cibovita/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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