Vermont

Runamok

Location: Fairfax, Vermont
Website: https://runamokmaple.com/
65 employees

When Eric and Laura Sorkin moved to Vermont from New York in 2000, they didn’t expect to become one of the largest maple syrup producers in the state and one of the biggest employers in the town of Fairfax, with 65 people on staff. But people quickly fell in love with their brand, Runamok Maple, and its barrel-aged and infused syrups, like salted caramel and cinnamon + vanilla, as well as the sleek packaging and gift sets. In 2020, when more people were staying home due to the pandemic and cooking more breakfasts and pancakes, Runamok introduced sparkle syrup–a glittery take on traditional maple syrup that Eric describes as “pure frivolous joy.” Sales took off even more. “People were just giddy over it. Making maple syrup, it’s kind of like magic,” he says. Runamok continues to expand, with over 100,000 taps and new product ideas, like a line of honey they introduced in 2021.

Eric credits Google Trends and Google Ads with helping them build a “tech-forward” brand and reach beyond borders from their rural home base. Now, 40 percent of their e-commerce sales come from Google Ads. “They reach a lot of our wholesale customers, buyers, investors, customers–everybody. There’s a ripple effect from every Google Ad,” Eric says. “The capacity to reach a national audience, to tailor our ads, to get in front of exactly who we want to get in front of–it's miraculous.” The Runamok team also turns to search trends to refine product names and find new ideas, and uses Google Workspace to help them run operations across their production facility. “When the pandemic hit, we were already working with remote meeting tools, Google Docs, and Sheets,” Eric says. “Most people have an idea in their mind of what running a farm looks like. The reality is that there's a lot of office work as well. These tools help us collaborate in a way that wasn’t possible 15 or 20 years ago.”

Vermont Wagyu

Location: Springfield, Vermont
Website: https://vermontwagyu.com
3,500+ ecommerce orders per year

Sheila Patinkin raises Wagyu, the Japanese cattle famous for their superior beef. It’s not the career she expected: she was a pediatrician in Chicago when her husband passed away suddenly. “I was grief-stricken, and it felt important to be closer to home, which was Vermont,” Sheila recalls. “I was looking for a niche business, and Wagyu is very artisanal, very hands-on.” So at age 52, Sheila purchased a farm near her hometown of Springfield, along with 20 embryos that would become her first full-blood Wagyu herd. Vermont Wagyu launched in 2011, selling sides of beef to top New York restaurants. Then the pandemic forced a U-turn: Vermont Wagyu still supplies Michelin-starred chefs, but 90 percent of sales are now direct-to-consumer, with about 3,500 ecommerce orders per year filled by Sheila and her family.

Vermont Wagyu already used Google Workspace to organize their livestock forecasts and finances. When 2020 brought a new urgency to marketing, they turned to Google Ads to reach new customers. Max Patinkin, Sheila’s son and an attorney by trade, handles the digital marketing for the business. He says about 25 percent of Vermont Wagyu’s sales come from Google Ads, and they generate up to 40 percent of the company’s growth. To understand what works best, they use Google Analytics. “Really drilling into how the website is performing, how campaigns are performing, is critical,” Max says. ”Each dollar returning to us allows us to support the families that work for us and the growth of the herd.” All four of Sheila’s children are involved in Vermont Wagyu, and as they partner with other local producers, they also shine a light on Vermont’s artisanal traditions. “Being a multi-generational farm is something that we really take to heart,” Max says. “And it's nice to see that evolution and support an agrarian business in a great state.”

Bee's Wrap

Location: Middlebury, Vermont
Website: https://www.beeswrap.com/
26 employees

As a hands-on home baker, Sarah Kaeck was looking for a sustainable way to keep goods like bread fresh. She came across the idea of waxing fabric with beeswax, resin, and plant oil and started experimenting in the kitchen. Looking to make it easy for others to cut down on food waste and single-use plastic, she started sharing her reusable wraps with friends and family and sold them at the local farmers market before launching Bee's Wrap, a compostable and food-safe alternative to plastic wrap, in 2012. The company soon went from an idea in Sarah’s head to a certified B Corp, serving roughly a quarter million global consumers a year and donating a portion of proceeds to environmental organizations. “We are committed to covering the world in pollinators, not plastic,” says Julian Fenn, Bee’s Wrap’s director of online marketing. “One kitchen at a time, we’re giving people a way to make a small swap so they can be part of this journey toward a plastic-free future.”

Before 2020, the majority of Bee’s Wrap sales came from brick-and-mortar stores, which were more greatly impacted by the pandemic. That’s when they turned to Google Ads to help boost online sales. “If we're not bidding on our search terms, somebody else is, so those ad placements are incredibly valuable,” says Julian. “About 25 percent of revenue now comes through Google Ads.” To learn more about its users’ needs, Bee’s Wrap uses Google Analytics. “We have better ad performance and better conversion rates than we used to because we can understand our customer a little better through Google Analytics.” Bee’s Wrap is also finding success with major retailers. “We’re getting out from a niche environment to a mass environment, and the more people we can reach, the bigger impact we can make,” says Julian. “We’re really excited to be able to help people make these small changes that make a huge difference.”

Jamaica Cottage Shop

Location: South Londonderry, Vermont
Website: https://jamaicacottageshop.com/
80 Employees

After college, Domenic Mangano travelled the country with his dogs, working as a laborer and builder. Eventually, he returned to Vermont and started building dog houses. In 1995, with interest in his handiwork growing, Domenic founded Jamaica Cottage Shop, Inc., named for the town where he set up shop. Domenic and his team now build rustic post-and-beam structures, including tiny homes, garden sheds, and livestock shelters. They deliver fully-assembled buildings regionally and ship pre-cut kits throughout the U.S. and Canada. Domenic uses digital products, including Google Ads campaigns, to generate leads, land new customers, and grow his business. “Google lets me utilize the power of the web. Without their innovations, I would not have been able to grow like this.” In 2018, the company made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing businesses. In January 2020, they sold their 10,000th building. Then, COVID-19 threw a wrench in the operations.

“We took a hit during the slowdown, but with a skeleton crew, we kept the shop running,” Domenic says. The staff began wearing masks and social distancing. “We became more efficient in how we use our space and handle materials.” When the state eased restrictions, “the phone started ringing and hasn’t stopped,” Domenic recalls. Their 75,000-square-foot factory kicked back into gear. Domenic’s Google Ads campaigns help reach his audience, while Google Analytics helps him understand their online behaviors. “More people are working from home and seeking home improvement projects,” he notes. “Searches on barns and chicken coops are up as people look to produce their own food in their backyards.” With 80 full-time employees, the company has seen 341-percent five-year growth. Domenic believes in “good karma” and giving back, donating a building to the local food pantry for collections during the pandemic. He’ll continue to use Google products to engage his customers, to help them enjoy a little piece of the Green Mountain State.

Vermont Smoke and Cure

Location: Hinesburg, Vermont
Website: www.vermontsmokeandcure.com
54 employees

Founded in 1962, Vermont Smoke & Cure has been dedicated to crafting delicious smoked meats for nearly 60 years. As the business has grown, it’s shifted its focus to specialize in sustainable and better-for-you meat snacks. Locals have long loved Vermont Smoke & Cure’s products, but when Tara Murphy joined the business as CEO in 2016, her top priority was sharing these treats with a larger audience of health-conscious snack lovers across the United States. At the time, Vermont Smoke & Cure had a basic website, but it didn’t have e-commerce. “There were other people selling our products online, but we weren’t really capitalizing on that,” Tara said. Tara knew that beefing up the company’s online presence was the key to connecting with a wider audience of snack lovers and those looking for snacks that fit specific diets, like paleo, keto, or gluten-free.

To make sure it reached consumers who were searching for meat snacks or similar products, Vermont Smoke & Cure turned to Google Ads, which now drives more than a quarter of its online sales. “Google tools are great for capturing the consumer when there’s some seed of interest in something related to your product,” said Tara. “Now we can really connect with someone searching for a protein-rich or low-sugar snack who may not be aware of how great a meat snack can be in their lifestyle.” As more of Vermont Smoke & Cure’s ad budget goes to digital, its return on investment continues to grow. The company also uses Google Merchant Center to keep its product information updated and relevant and Google Analytics to identify which aspects of its digital platform need tweaking to create a seamless customer experience.

Since it started using Google tools, Vermont Smoke & Cure has experienced 30% year-over-year growth. “We were able to educate ourselves by using Google Ads and then testing and learning what was making a difference and with whom,” said Tara. “That influenced new product innovation and even our brick-and-mortar channel strategy.” As a Vermont benefit corporation, Vermont Smoke & Cure works to minimize its carbon footprint and supports local community farmers to make the state an even better place to live. “We want to be a thriving business in Vermont for many years to come,” said Tara, who hopes to quadruple business over the next five years. “I see Google playing a role in us continuing to grow.”

Darn Tough Vermont

Location: Northfield, Vermont
Website: www.darntough.com
235 employees

The Cabot family has been making premium wool socks in the Green Mountain State for three generations. Until the early 2000s, they manufactured socks for other brands. But as business began to leave the country, the family found themselves at a crossroads. “Times were tough,” says Founder and CEO Ric Cabot. “The mill went from two shifts a day to two shifts a week, 401(k)s were cut, and the company was close to insolvency. We had to seriously ask ourselves whether it was still viable to be an American manufacturer of premium socks.” They decided that it was, and in 2004 the family shifted business models and launched their own brand, Darn Tough Vermont. “The world said we didn’t need another sock brand,” Ric recalls. “But we believed in our product so strongly, we chose to unconditionally guarantee our socks for life—a commitment we carry on to this day.”

When the Cabots shifted business models, their digital strategy changed with it. “We now share our story and commitment to quality with consumers around the world,” explains David Tyler, Director of Digital Commerce. Darn Tough Vermont uses AdWords, Google’s advertising program, to reach customers looking for what David describes as “the most comfortable, durable, and best-fitting socks you can own.” They share the mill’s history and values on social media and YouTube. “Video is an ideal medium for bringing customers closer to our brand, and YouTube is a strategic platform for reaching and engaging the modern consumer,” David adds. And with insights from Google Analytics, they can better understand what resonates with their customers and improve their marketing accordingly.

Today some 1,800 retailers in the U.S. carry Darn Tough socks, and the company’s international distribution is growing in Canada, Europe, and Asia. “We've had nearly 30 straight quarters of growth, with double-digit growth in recent years," says David. All of this is good news for Darn Tough’s home in Northfield. To keep up with demand, the company has expanded to a nearby 47,000-square-foot mill and doubled their workforce over the past three years. “We feel very strongly about reinvesting in this community and creating opportunities for the people here,” Ric explains. And they plan to do so for many years to come. “That willingness to never give up, to never be satisfied, to always go for that next peak—that’s what we’re all about.”

King Arthur Flour

Location: Norwich, Vermont
Website: www.kingarthurflour.com
375 employees

Companies who’ve survived for centuries are few and far between. Founded in 1790, King Arthur Flour is one of them. “We started as a family-owned flour company 227 years ago. The fact that we’re still selling flour as a major part of our business is amazing,” says Bill Tine, Vice President of Marketing. Today, King Arthur Flour is 100 percent employee-owned. They sell their signature flours and baking mixes directly to consumers online and wholesale to 5,000 U.S. retailers. They also run a local bakery and café, have two baking schools in Vermont and Washington state, and are a major content producer for bakers across America. “We’ve really grown into a national company that focuses on all things baking,” Bill remarks. "Our consumers' experience via our website, social media, and email marketing have been a huge part of that growth.”

Since getting online in 1996, the historic New England company has flourished. Their website has evolved into an e-commerce store as well as a popular baking recipe destination, drawing over 20 million unique visitors a year. "We want to have a direct relationship with bakers in the U.S.," Bill says. "That starts with people buying from us directly. And 85 percent of that happens online." AdWords, Google's advertising program, brings in 20 percent of their e-commerce revenue. Google Analytics provides them with the data to better understand and meet the needs of their customers. They use social media, including YouTube, to share baking tips and other goodies. "We also use Google Trends to look at seasonality and guide our product research and content planning,” adds Aime Mason, Director of Digital and Content Marketing.

From their unbleached and unbromated flours to their whole wheat breads, King Arthur Flour is proud to be, as Bill describes, “number one in most product categories that we sell in.” They were named one of the 2016 Best Places to Work in Vermont. Their Bake for Good program teaches thousands of kids how to bake and also encourages them to “bake it forward.” And they hope to soon be the first resource all bakers turn to for advice, inspiration, and education. “Whether you’re a kid making bread for the first time or an expert struggling with a new technique, we want to help you have the best experience possible,” says Bill. "That’s what we strive for. To have a meaningful impact on our bakers, and to save the world, one recipe at a time."

Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean

Location: Granville, Vermont
Website: rozaliaproject.org
Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean retrieved 130,000 pieces of trash in the summer of 2015

Rachael Miller, her husband, James, and their two Newfoundland dogs visited remote Matinicus Island, off the coast of Maine, for a short vacation in October 2009. They were shocked by the amount of trash that had washed up onto the beach. Rachael spent the first day pulling it all up above the high-tide line. "You hate ocean trash,” James said. “Let's do something about it." So they did, by founding Rozalia Project, named for Rachael’s great-grandmother. The nonprofit group protects and cleans the ocean using technology, innovation, solutions-based research, and engaging STEM programs. They focus on urban and coastal waters, specializing in the remote islands and shorelines of the Gulf of Maine, and solving the problem of synthetic microfiber pollution.

“We had the Internet in mind from the beginning,” Rachael says. “Knowing that people could go online and get our story straightaway was important.” Rozalia Project soon began sharing their mission via short videos. “YouTube is a pretty spectacular tool for us because it's so popular, so central, and so easy to integrate across other platforms,” Rachael says. YouTube’s analytics help them understand their video audience, while Google Analytics provides useful insight into their website visitors. The group also began using AdWords, Google’s advertising program, thanks to a grant from Google Ad Grants, which helps them connect with potential volunteers and donors. In addition, volunteers and staff use the Google Apps for Work suite of tools, including Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Docs.

Rozalia Project has grown steadily since its inception, thanks in large part to the Internet and technology. They now conduct summer expeditions on a 60-foot sailing research vessel, American Promise, with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to work on the sea floor. Numerous volunteers assist two year-round employees and a summer captain or two. The group cooperates with such partners as the University of Georgia and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to track and retrieve ocean debris, and as many as 30,000 people enroll in their online education program. Rachael could scarcely have imagined it all while cleaning that lonely beach at Matinicus Island. “That's what we want,” she says. “We want impact.”