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For Immediate Release Selma, Alabama, October 10, 2006 |
Contact: Microwave Roasters Steve Grossman - 419-636-6183 |
The Selma Times-Journal- Steve Grossman is the prototype chief executive officer. No job is too small for him at his Microwave Roasters facility at South Dallas Industrial Park, from sweeping the floor to searching for new outlets for his products.
The company's newest product, MicroRinds, is catching on. Even in Spanish speaking counties, where fried pork rinds are a favorite snack. These new snacks, however, have zero carbs, zero trans fat and are low in sodium. The chicharrones, as they are called in Spanish, can be prepared in seconds in a microwave oven and Grossman said "they are a healthier alternative."
He is waiting for word any day now from a company that wants to invest in his company. Pop N Go, a company specializing in microwave popcorn that is served up in a vending oven, has taken off by targeting schools that used to provide unhealthy candy bars and carbonated sodas through vending machines at schools.
The company has four products, all of which are microwavable, including a hot and spicy version of the rinds, MicrOrings, onion flavored rings, and Micro Bak'N, artificially flavored bacon snacks. While the operating cash from their new partner will help with expenses, Grossman continues to look for new markets.
"We have shipped to Japan, Canada, and have pending orders for Mexico, Guatemala and India," Grossman said. "Skins are an extremely popular snack in Mexico. We want our product to catch on so they can get them fresh and warm anytime."
The company's had their packaging designed by professionals. They buy the raw material and the processing, packaging and distribution are all done from Selma.
"We are among the smallest of them all, with the potential to be among the large ones," Grossman said. "Everyone who has seen our products have said if they were sold by a major, they would be large."
Microwave Roasters employs up to 10 employees when in production, and has the capabilities to produce up to $1 million in retail product a year. The products can be found in 27 stores, including 20 Winn Dixie stores. They can be found in both Winn Dixie locations in Selma.
Grossman, who has lived in Europe, speaks five different languages. He has no illusions of the difficulties in taking a new product and making it a household name.
"We're still fighting an uphill battle," Grossman said.
Gov. Bob Riley announced October as Alabama Food Products Month at a press conference last week in Birmingham. "When you buy original Alabama food products, it keeps jobs in our state and strengthens our economy," Riley said in a press release.
See the tasty Microwave Roasters' snacks in action.
