KLS presents "Together Talks" feature #78 with EnviroStar and President, Roxanne Deedrick

Some Background on EnviroStar

Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the privilege to interview EnviroStar and President, Roxanne Deedrick. EnviroStar partners with nutritional companies to bring dreams to reality with a shared passion for creating quality products that benefit mankind. With one call, organizations access the equipment, ingredients, and product development expertise to solve problems and unlock new possibilities. They provide fully automated, food safe, and easy-to-use sonicator technology and spray drying systems. Their formulation experience ranges from functional proteins, antibodies, hormones, enzyme modification and breakdown, liposomes, oils (such as cannabis), volatile compounds (such as flavorings), to fermentation byproducts and more. EnviroStar's capabilities include mixing, homogenizing, spray drying, agglomeration/granulation, powder blending and packaging.

Pivot

The company began as the Founder, Clint Buchner, had developed his own spray drying technologies. His career involved being with Kraft for many, many years. He had planned to sell his patented technology to large commercial suppliers to refit their spray dryers. But ultimately he found that there was a different opportunity present. His technology provided ample opportunity to building smaller scale commercial-size spray dryers.

EnviroStar started about 6 years ago and now works as essentially a bulk-food ingredient company. In addition they provide spray drying manufacturing. They provide unique formulations for companies, but also have the ability to spray-dry into powders. But surprisingly they don't cross very often. Their spray-dryers are more designed for piloting new ingredients for companies.

Roxanne explained, "If somebody has an idea that they think could be a great market concept, but they don't have the ability, or even the market compatibility yet to know that the new thing is going to work, they come to somebody like us and we run them 20, 50, or 100 kilograms of the product they're looking to make and then they trial it."

Serving a niche

At Bigger spray-drying companies rarely do you have that luxury. Roxanne explains that you're talking 10,000 pounds is a typical minimum order. They serve this unique ability including larger scale companies. Roxanne continued, "If they have a new concept and they don't have, they don't want to take up time on their bigger machines to trial the product, they'll come to somebody like us to trial it to see if it fits with, if it fits with their secondary machinery, if it fits with their packaging equipment, if it even, if it tastes the way they think it's going to taste, that sort of thing."

Roxanne grew up as a diesel mechanic with her dad. The mechanical side of their technology was a seamless transition for her. Understanding the technology allowed her to take it a step further as she is responsible for the installs of the machinery and the training at companies. The other component is her background was polymer engineering which was more of a focus on composite background such as plastics and resins, but she was able to apply some experience and education towards her position now. "And so then with working with Clint, it kind of all came together into one role. So I got to work in the food and beverage side and on the mechanical side.", Roxanne mentioned.

EnviroStar's capability is one of their strengths according to Roxanne, "The way we do it is our dryers have a 97% yield on them. So that almost everything you put into them, you're getting back. Using our EnviroStar element kits, you're going to get that dosage exactly right every single time. Because even if you're working with an extract, that really isn't the same every time, because sometimes they're going to be 80% active, sometimes they'll be 92% active, they're going to be all over the board. However our technology allows companies to be able to make this in batches so that end product will be exactly the same every single time."

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Specialty

Roxanne credits the company's turnaround time being so strong. She also mentioned that using their technology allows them customization with altering the product on these trial runs. They create the process that allows their clients to tweak things until they get it just right in their minds.

Roxanne explained to us, "Our biggest goal is that, we've actually never had a product we couldn't figure out. Somebody comes to us with wanting to make a shelf stable, powderized, antibody powder." A remarkable achievement in such a vast industry of possibilities. Roxanne did share it has to be feasible, but they relish the challenges present to them. She continued, "We have to make sure that antibody can live inside that powder as it sits on the shelf for years and years before, you know, as is being used, as is being bought, as is going through shipping. So those kinds of tests that people come at us with, we've never failed."

The teaching of other people on how to use a spray dryer when, five years ago when she was still learning the ins and outs of it, was a unique challenge for Roxanne. But she enjoyed the opportunity and has turned herself into one of the senior minds at the company regarding application and installation of their technology. Since then she has taken the role on as installer, trainer, including manuals, user guides, and educational components. She shared with us she was a little scared and nervous initially, but now it is second nature.

First 1/3

"We like think of ourselves as the first third of a new product's life.", Roxanne shared. Their biggest challenge is client retention in the first few years in business. Getting the opportunity initially to prove they could provide exactly what they said they could do. Another component to that is new product life cycles and sometimes take months if not years, so waiting on openings and opportunities can provide another set of circumstances to overcome.

Proving doubters wrong has been years in the making, but case by case they were able to strengthen their reputation. Roxanne commented it took a very long time for the company to have that validation, but it only made them stronger and more resilient in the long run. And now their running joke in the company is that they want to put a spray-dryer in everyone's living room in the next few years. As lightheartedly as they mean that, it just shows the innovation they have brought to the industry. "Nobody has really created a spray dryer like ours before for the food and beverage industry.", Roxanne mentioned.

She continued, "We can create commercial sized product or commercially viable products on such a small scale. And we really think that can help larger companies with their R&D processes, universities with their training process pharmaceuticals with safer spray drying techniques. We really believe that's in our future."

Roxanne shared with us one of her favorite stories, although it happens more commonly than one would think. She started by telling us when they sell their spray dryer to a client, they also have ingredient kits which serve as a turnkey operation. In the event that the client can't get their product to work, EnviroStar has already formulated a polymer to fit the exact process. This saves their clients from having to do a R&D process to get it to function the way they want and need it to. Roxanne shared the magic that has happened more times than she can count, "I'll be there installing it and they have their entire team there, including multiple PhD educated doctors, who can't figure out why it won't work. I get to come save the day and present them with the polymer. Instant success and usually they are so amazed at our companies capabilities they become a client forever."

She finished with, "There are multiple PhD people around saying in disbelief, 'I've done this for years!' And I just have to be like yeah, I know."

Culture

The culture of the company was described as a family oriented company. Roxanne shared that they all like to make sure that everyone works together as a group and make sure everyone's schedules align. Having work-life balance and the flexibility to take care of their families and children first allows each team member to not have that additional level of stress impact their work. They put each other first and then they can put their maximum level of energy and focus in to their products.

Roxanne credited the ability to be flexible as the aspect she enjoys most. Starting as a smaller company and watching it grow and evolve means sacrifice from team members. But because of their pact to support each other it has allowed them to bring in the right individuals to help grow the company with the same goals and values. She stated that there are still plenty of nights where Clint and she switch off 12 hours on and 12 hours off to get a project done on time. But they work together amongst themselves and the rest of the team to make sure everyone can accommodate it at a given time.

The open communication leads to everyone being on the same page. Roxanne also shared that another form of communication is one of her favorite parts of the job, being able to speak at conferences. She said she started in this role as an engineer but has added more and more roles to her resume over time. The opportunity to speak, educate, and teach others has brought her a great sense of joy. Sharing their technology, advancements, and possibilities is still a challenge for EnviroStar, but when given the chance they make believers out of those who are unaware.

Roxanne explained, "Companies are forgetting and I think they forget how many of our products come from spray drying already I mean anything that sits on the shelf in a box in powdered form is spray dried. I mean, that's the entire baking aisle comes from you know the 300 foot spray dryers that make thousands of kilograms an hour a product. Anything other than fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat are pretty much everything as a spray dried product in it. More examples like flour, baking soda, most seasonings. I like reminding people that it's not a scary process and is part of our everyday lives. To instruct them and show how much it can help add value to ingredients that they're trying to make."

Piece of Advice

Our conversation with Roxanne ended with her sharing her piece of advice:

"Don't be so hard-headed on where you think a career is going to go, because it's going to change a thousand times sometimes, even within one company. I thought I was an engineer, but I'm not. Apparently, I'm a salesperson. I'm a salesperson and a speaker."

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In Closing

KLS wants to thank Roxanne Deedrick, President, of EnviroStar for today's "Together Talks" feature. Keep up to date with EnviroStar by following their blog on their website, check it out here. Follow along for the EnviroStar journey with their social handles below!

LinkedIn / Rozanne's LinkedIn