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CAIC Alumni Spotlight: Hope’s Caramels

Welcome to the first installment of our #AwesomeAlumni series, which will highlight some of the remarkable people who have participated in CAIC programs!

 

 

For Delaware-based Hope’s Caramels, whose co-founder Brady Shuert was a member of the inaugural Producers Growth Program cohort in early 2023, the past year has been a pretty momentous one. First, in October, the confectionary company officially moved from a shared commercial kitchen into their own commercial space. Located in downtown Wilmington, the new location provides them with ample room for both production and retail sales. 

Hope's Caramels co-founder Brady Shuert in the company's new Wilmington, Delaware space.

 

An exciting addition to that new space has been the 1,700-pound candy-wrapping machine that Hope’s Caramels purchased, in part with the support of investors through a successful $100,000 crowdfunding campaign. With the new machine, the company will be able to substantially step up their production—and meet the growing demand for their products. 

A closer look at the new 1,700-pound candy-wrapping machine.

 

Recently, CAIC was treated to a tour of the beautiful new Hope’s Caramels space in Wilmington. Scroll through to check out some more of our photos from the visit, and be sure to pay the store a visit if you’re in town! You can also purchase their delectable sweets here, or at more than 15 retail stores throughout the country.   

Shuert gives us a tour of the new Hope's Caramels commercial kitchen space.
The new commercial space offers plenty of room for the Hope's Caramels team to craft their delicious sweets!
Another look at the team's new workspace.

 

Check out more of our #AwesomeAlumni on our Instagram! And send us a message if you’d like to be featured in this series in the future.

The caramel-making process begins with a few key ingredients.

STAY IN TOUCH

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MINI-GRANTs

Mini-Grants up to $5,000 are available for:
– Market Research and Validation of Target Market
– Customer Acquisition
– Product Development Initiatives
– Food Safety Classes
Eligibility
Value-added producers and companies with traction ($20,000 or more in yearly revenue) in Maryland and Delaware are eligible to apply for Mini-Grants. Participants may apply once for each of the categories. Applicants must demonstrate that they have a unique and differentiated product or service that incorporates an aspect of innovation or technology in its production, processing, distribution, or other element of the food supply system.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Award decisions will be made and funds will be available no later than three weeks following the receipt of a completed application.
Application Process
Applicants must submit Mini-Grant proposals by filling out the form at this link. Copy(ies) of quote(s), proposal(s), estimate(s), or any other supporting documents.

MINI GRANT APPLICATION

ACCESS TO SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS (SMES)

CAIC offers access to Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) who can offer authoritative advice based on their deep knowledge and experience in a specific area. See the ADVISORS page of this Web site to learn more about the SMEs who are available to CAIC participants.

Register For The CAIC

Date and Time of Session: Wednesday, October 20th; 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
Course Description: This presentation discusses strategies for B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) growth via marketing and sales. The presentation focuses on each company’s plans to diversify its revenue streams by using e-commerce, exporting, and overall customer acquisition tactics to support and enhance brand awareness.
Desired Prerequisite Knowledge and Experience of Attendees: There are no prerequisites for this Virtual Presentation.
Criteria for Acceptance into the Virtual Presentation: Attendees need to have a product-based business; this is not suited for technology and/or app companies.