If you think it’s impossible to start a successful business in the middle of a recession, ask a man who did it – Steve Treser. Along with his sidekick, Carlisle Robertson, Treser exemplifies the classic success story of finding a product niche and then filling it. It didn’t hurt that he has a ton of persistence and he followed his own precept to take on little or no debt.
It all started with Treser’s mother, who invented a great salad dressing based on fresh onions and a touch of balsamic vinegar. The Tresers traditionally made and used it when at their family camp. Treser habitually makes up batches of it for his own family, using it to flavor hamburgers by mixing it with the meat before cooking.
Invited to a party at Nags Head during the summer of 2008, he made hamburgers for a group of friends. Not only did they rave about the taste but also, as fortune would have it, a man in the food business was present. “He said ‘you have to market this.’ He gave me a name and number to call for Ashman Manufacturing in Virginia Beach,” Treser said.
Treser then sent a sample. “He called me within minutes of opening it, said he’d been ‘doing this for 20 years and this is one of the best sauces I’ve ever tasted. Let’s get going.’” So they did. It took about four months to get a label, nutrition information, and a UPC (bar code) symbol. They had to do a title search and happily found that the name “Camp Sauce” was not already taken.
Treser and Ashman never have had a contract. The manufacturer simply has to keep the recipe secret and not make the sauce for anyone else.
Treser, 48, undeniably has had some good luck along the way. He worked in the family steel business after college, but wanted something else. After earning an architecture degree from Tech, he started work at Roanoke’s Balzer and Associates. At Balzer, he met fellow architect and Roanoke resident Robertson, who has been an integral part of Camp Sauce from the beginning. To finance the start-up, Treser sold his share in the family business as well as another business he had started. He and his own family lived very thriftily as well.
“We wanted to be in Kroger,” said Treser. “We had a gut feel that that was the right kind of store. We like shopping at Kroger and saw products in a similar price range. And it’s a big store nationally.” (Getting a product into Cincinnati-based Kroger, even on a regional basis, is no small order.) To get their feet wet they began selling through a handful of specialty stores.
When Treser and Robertson contacted Kroger, they found that they needed permission from the regional office. That’s where the persistence came in – pursuing the Kroger connection. They enlisted help from various Kroger managers to help them reach the decision maker. Result: Robertson can now be found most days setting up his sampling stand at a local Kroger, inviting everyone to taste the sauce on cold vegetables or warm meatballs.
Those who taste generally buy, although some buyers have suggested the sauce needs some “heat.” So now Treser is rolling out his Camp Fire Sauce. “It has a similar base but has some heat, a ginger kick and peppers in it, too. But a very mild heat; kids love it. I’ve been using it with friends, my children [he has four], and neighbors and they’re very helpful with feedback.”
Robertson and Treser have just traveled to Pennsylvania to oversee the initial manufacturing of this new flavor. They plan to have it in the Roanoke area Kroger by the end of the month. The label is similar but subtly changed to maroon instead of tan-brown.
Camp and Camp Fire Sauce now will be available all over the state, thanks to the distribution efforts of Virginia Heritage Foods. Treser has enlisted the help of a sampling firm to expand his market across the state, but he still plans to do some sampling himself in every store at least once, to get a feel for the response. “I like the personal touch.” No matter where you live you can purchase the sauce online, at TreserFamilyFoods.com.
In business for a year, Treser is amazed at his current success. “A year ago if someone told me I’d be doing this I’d wake up and know it was a dream. But my gut knew it was the thing to do …going full steam to follow your heart.”
It seems only fitting from someone who sells a sauce named Camp, the company is using some of the profits to send less affluent kids to summer camps. “I’m a firm believer in going to camp, to be outside and learn about nature.” He’s sending his own kids, too, to a Methodist church camp.
Treser has some advice he thinks will be helpful to others, in any business. “The first thing is to do what is right. The second is to do what you say you will do, to keep your promises.” The third is his belief that life and business are all about being of service to others. “If you keep that in mind it will come back to you.”
By Priscilla Richardson