Groundbreaking Hillman Company Successfully Markets Gluten-Free Foods

4/1/08

Contact:  Natalie Ebig Scott
517-432-1555, ext. 157

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Thanks to Heartland Ingredients’ award-winning innovation, those suffering from gluten intolerance can now safely enjoy a variety of pastas, cereals and flours. The lineup of gluten-free products made with Michigan navy and pinto beans earned the Hillman, Mich., company one of the first Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center awards -- for best innovative business idea.

The MSU Product Center was established in 2003 to generate research and provide services in support of a profitable future for businesses and industries engaged in Michigan's agricultural, food and natural resource systems. With a focus on product, market and business innovation, the MSU Product Center connects entrepreneurs with the MSU network of technical expertise, research, outreach and educational services.
           
Heartland Ingredients general manager and co-owner Jim LeCureux said that the idea for marketing the beans had been simmering for several years.
           
“Back in 1999, we were looking for alternative markets for dry beans,” LeCureux said. “In 2002, we found out that this market was out there, that people were looking for fiber and protein in their diet. Beans fit that profile, so we started conducting consumer surveys and developing products.”

The staff of the MSU Product Center, a major resource for LeCureux as he established his business, believes it is important to recognize its more inventive clients.

“It is exciting to recognize innovative and interesting clients,” said Chris Peterson, director of the MSU Product Center and Nowlin chair for consumer-responsive agriculture. “There have been some studies conducted, particularly in rural communities, that indicate that we (in Michigan) tend not to celebrate entrepreneurial success and lean toward being fairly critical of entrepreneurial failures. So, when several of our clients had reached a point where they really deserved recognition, it seemed appropriate to present these awards.”

“I was happy for the business and for the investors,” LeCureux said. “It’s been a long struggle, and it’s nice to be recognized for doing something outside of the box.”

He and three other winners received the first batch of Product Center awards, which were also presented for “most successful business transition” and “best barrier buster.”
           
A group not affiliated with the MSU Product Center selected the award winners. Tom Kalchik, associate director of the MSU Product Center, said the uniqueness of the products was a key deciding factor. Special consideration was extended to value-added products, those that growers altered from their original form into unique products.
           
“For us, the key to value-added is differentiation,” Kalchik said. “How do you differentiate your product from everything else that’s available?”
           
LeCureux said he appreciates everything the Product Center has done for Heartland Ingredients, and he hopes they continue to work together in the future.
           
The MSU Product Center is a major recipient of funding from Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs). The center receives $250,000 in annual operating funds from the state’s plant agriculture initiative, along with additional value-added project monies that support a variety of projects, ranging from labeling and taste testing to Web site design.

Founded in 1997, Project GREEEN is a cooperative effort between plant-based commodities and businesses together with the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU Extension and the Michigan Department of Agriculture to advance Michigan’s economy through its plant-based agriculture.

To learn more about Michigan’s plant agriculture initiative at MSU, visit www.greeen.msu.edu.
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