Swell Gelato of TD wins Nano Biz of the Year
Debbie Hendrickx has ‘em on the run as her Swell Gelato for dogs just earned top honors from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
From U.S. Small Business Admin with additions by Tom Peterson
Swell Gelato of The Dalles was named the winner of the 2023 U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Nano Business of the Year today, April 18.
Owner Debbie Hendrickx, who operates the business from her site in The Port of The Dalles, said she was “amazed and honored” by the award.
“I did not expect to win because we are so small, but it is a nano business of the year,” she said, noting she was up to five employees including herself that call themselves the “Swell Sisters.”
Founded in 2016, Swell Gelato makes premium and artisan gelato for dogs. The gelatos are crafted by hand per a traditional gelato-making process with only natural ingredients consisting of whole fruits, vegetables and creamy coconut milk.
The Swell line consists of six gelato flavors and three gourmet dog food toppers which can be found in more than 500 pet food stores as well as a few grocery stores across 11 states, according to a U.S. Small Business Administration press release.
Hendrickx displays the new Swell Gelato packaging system she recently installed.
“We’ve come a long way,” she said on Tuesday afternoon, noting they have rented an additional 1,000 square feet to streamline the process of making and packaging the gelato while also providing some office space.
“Moving here to The Dalles was the best business move I ever made,” she said. “The Small Business Development Center and Business Oregon has provided huge support, much more than where I came from (Seattle).”
She thanked Gregory Price Director at Columbia Gorge Small Business Development Center located at Columbia Gorge Community College. He nominated the Swell Gelato for the award.
The Center offers the following services:
Business plan development
Loan application packaging
Marketing plan strategies
Hiring and managing your team
Navigating the business regulatory process
Managing cash flow challenges
The SBA Portland District Nano Business of the Year honors a business with five or less employees operating for at least one year that is growing rapidly and poised for even more significant growth in the future, wrote Spokesperson Sean Wilson with the Portland District U.S. Small Business Administration.
That’s a lot of milk - Hendrickx is now buying coconut milk by the shipping container with additional space at Swell Gelato. Volume purchases of commodities are key to keeping costs in line.
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More from U.S. Small Business Administration:
During this year’s National Small Business Week, April 30 to May 6, 2023, the U.S. Small Business Administration will spotlight the resilience of America’s entrepreneurs, who are doing their part to power our nation’s historic economic comeback. And we’ll be sharing important information about the many services and programs the U.S. Small Business Administration offers to help start and grow your business, create 21st century jobs, drive innovation and increase America’s global competitiveness.
This year’s event will honor the nation’s 33 million small businesses for their perseverance, ingenuity, triumphs and creativity. And the SBA, along with valued small business partners, will share important information about the many programs and services available to help businesses start and grow, continue to power our economic growth, strengthen our supply chains and deliver the products and services Americans depend on every day.
The National Small Business Week events will also include access to critical federal resources, opportunities for new business strategies, opportunities to meet other business owners and chat with industry experts. NSBW will include honoring small businesses around the country, educational sessions, online business resources and exciting speakers. Highlights of the week will include an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., a four-city roadshow tour, and a virtual summit where small business owners can visit virtual booths to develop one-on-one connections with public and private sector partners to create opportunities for collaboration and information-sharing in real-time.
“These incredible entrepreneurs show the vibrancy and grit of our nation’s small businesses,” said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. “From Main Street to manufacturing hubs and tech centers, they are powering our economy. We hope their stories inspire and motivate the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
“The spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in our small business community is part of what makes life in the Pacific Northwest so special,” said SBA Portland District Director Martin Golden. “Entrepreneurs like Debbie Hendrickx represent the thousands of small business owners who dedicate themselves every day to building a better life for their families, employees and are a source of strength for their communities.”
In 2016, Debbie Hendrickx took a break from her corporate career and spent the summer doing two things she loved the most: making gelato and surrounding herself with dogs.
She set up her gelato cart at a local dog park and started selling the gelatos she had been making for her own two dogs.
It was a huge success.
At this point, Debbie decided to leave her corporate career behind and go full steam ahead in pursuing her true passion. As demand for her doggie treats grew, she moved her kitchen operation to a two-car garage and ultimately sold her house in 2021 to purchase her own production facility to keep up with the ever-growing demand for her gelato for dogs.
What started as a single-person operation in a small kitchen has grown to a 2000-square-foot commercial kitchen/warehouse/storage facility along with four team members making gourmet gelatos and food toppers for dog lovers to treat their four-legged friends.
As Debbie was growing her business, she turned to the Columbia Gorge Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance in strategic business planning as well as connecting to other local and financial resources.
Through the SBDC she was able to connect with WorkSource Oregon and Columbia Gorge Community College youth program internship to help build her team.
She was also able to obtain funding from Business Oregon to scale up her business as well as export assistance.
When COVID hit, SBA COVID Relief programs provided a lifeline to ensure she could keep her new team on the job so that they could train on making the gelato in the new production facility.
“It took just one swell idea and a bit of courage to start a gelato for dogs business, but it took a village to keep it running when the business took off and got more complicated,” said Debbie Hendrickx. “I am eternally grateful for the resources this amazing community can offer to small entrepreneurs like me.”
