Dave Lukas Chats with Matt McLean438: From 3 Acres to 20K Stores, How Matt McLean Built an Organic Juice Giant
This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Matt McLean. Matt is the founder of Uncle Matt’s Organic, which he founded in 1999 with three acres in his Dad’s backyard. Uncle Matt’s is now the largest organic orange juice brand and the number one selling OJ and grapefruit juice in the U.S. with a full line of organic beverages sold nationwide in over 20,000+ stores. And it’s darn good because I drink it just about every day! Starting aa brand from the ground up and growing it to be the largest in it’s space is no easy feat, so I’ve asked Matt to come on and share the story of how he did it and the lessons he’s learned along the way. https://www.unclematts.com/ Show NotesMatt is a fourth-generation Florida citrus grower who originally intended to leave the citrus industry. After earning a degree in business and economics, he started a juice export company and discovered the emerging market for organic juice. A pivotal conversation with his grandfather—who reminisced about farming “the organic way” before synthetic chemicals existed—convinced Matt that organic was the future. Drawing on his family’s deep citrus expertise, he launched Uncle Matt’s Organic in 1999 with just three acres in his dad’s backyard. Over time, he formed a network of like-minded growers, honed the art of creating consistently great-tasting orange juice, and slowly but steadily scaled the business into the largest organic orange and grapefruit juice brand in the U.S.
Talk to us about the phases the business went through and the key things you learned with each phase. Early Start-Up Phase
Building a Grower Network
Secured early wins by getting into health-focused stores and local grocers.
Landed Publix in 2001, which increased volume and credibility.
How do you make a great-tasting orange juice? Timing of Harvest
How did you scale distribution to 20,000+ stores?
You started with three acres. How did you keep up with the growing demand?
What are the secrets to building a lasting brand?
What made you focus only on organic?
How have you built your team and culture at Uncle Matt’s?
Are there any books you recommend for entrepreneurs?
What is the #1 metric above all others that matters most to you?
Is there a question we should have asked that you feel is important?
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