CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — In a recent presentation to the Lehigh Valley LaunchBox audience, Greg Vetter, an author, entrepreneur, innovator and investor, shared stories of the challenges and triumphs he faced throughout his entrepreneurial career.
Vetter co-founded a leading company in the clean food movement alongside his two brothers, Matt and Brian. The company, Tessemae’s, served as the leading producer of the former Number One organic salad dressing brand in the refrigerated space.
Inspired by his mother’s homemade salad dressing recipe, Greg said, Tessemae’s paved the way for large-scale clean manufacturing in only 5 years, with the invention of the only gum-free dressing bottling process. This milestone led to the creation of the “fresh condiment” category and the first Whole30 approved bottled dressings or condiments in the country.
Tessemae’s was riding a wave of success that proved to be difficult to sustain, and a "combination of infighting, bad legal advice, and capital misfires pushed us into Chapter 11," Vetter shared.
Undaunted, he said, Vetter and his brothers launched Alta Fresh Food Company, which pioneered a simpler way to get great tasting salads to consumers through its revolutionary “master kitting” process and cutting-edge R&D department. Alta is now a top name in the fresh food solutions industry.
The hard-won knowledge Vetter acquired throughout his career inspired him to mentor others, he said. His newest initiative, Home Grown Brand Accelerator, was developed to publicize the “playbook” for the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. Additionally, he’s shared more of his story in the best-selling book “Undressed: The Unfiltered Story of My Failed American Dream.”
During the LaunchBox presentation, Vetter offered tools and mindsets for turning personal experience into brand equity. He offered insights from pitching major distributors and national retailers and explained how to build (and reinvent) a brand from the ground up to an audience of 65 attendees who represented the Lehigh Valley LaunchBox and greater campus community.
Vetter’s entrepreneurial journey is not uncommon, yet those new to business ownership don’t often hear about the struggles, said Tiffany Valdes-Madera, Lehigh Valley LaunchBox business development coordinator, who added that Lehigh Valley LaunchBox strives to offer programs that show all sides of launching and maintaining a business.
“Programs like this are important because when leaders speak about ‘entrepreneurial grit’, they don’t often talk about their failures,” said Valdes-Madera. “A lot of people gloss over their failures and highlight their successes, but I think people in this community crave authenticity.” Vetter was open in speaking about his own reinvention and the ways in which fellow entrepreneurs can learn from his mistakes, Vales-Madera said.
Referring to his own athletic background, Vetter said he felt Tessemae’s was "the entire game" and when it failed, the “game” was essentially over. However, he added, “it was just the first quarter. The loss had to happen so he could move into the next 'quarter' of his life."
“He talked a lot about having a solution-oriented mindset, and no matter what the problem is or was, the question is always ‘How are we going to overcome it?’ and just constantly pushing through it," said Vales-Madera.
Lehigh Valley LaunchBox offers programs and services that help entrepreneurs and business owners thrive. For more information, visit the LaunchBox website at Lehigh Valley LaunchBox | Penn State Lehigh Valley.
Penn State Lehigh Valley, established in 1912, combines over a century of academic excellence with personalized instruction and industry-connected faculty. Students can choose from 11 baccalaureate degrees or begin any of Penn State’s 275+ majors through the 2+2 program. With small class sizes and advanced learning technology, our modern campus prepares students for success in the Lehigh Valley and beyond.