LONGMEADOW – The Small Business Administration named Longmeadow-based company Jeff’s Granola the 2020 Microenterprise Business of the Year for Massachusetts.

Founder/CEO Jeff Greim was honored virtually at the annual SBA Massachusetts Small Business Week Awards on Sept. 23

“It’s quite an honor and I feel very humbled to get the award,” Greim said. “It is another validation of the philanthropic aspect of the business model and it’s what truly differentiates Jeff’s Granola. Customers, employees, business partners and government agencies respond positively to the philanthropic aspect of the business and in their own way try to support the company. This support has been the key to the company’s success.”

Jeff’s Granola donates all profits to charities and nonprofit organizations such as United Way of Hampshire County and Survivor Journeys.

 Each individual customer who buys Jeff’s Granola has the opportunity to direct profits from their purchase to their favorite charities. Using an online form or a simple email, customers choose where the profits from their purchase are donated. Jeff’s Granola is also sold to public school districts for use in federally funded breakfast and lunch food programs for students.     

Though Greim started the company in 2012, the story goes back to his neighbor and good friend, Beth Paulson, who is a professional baker. Her son Henry and Greim both share the same birthday, so they began exchanging gifts. As a reciprocal birthday present, Paulson would drop off a bag of granola on Greim’s back porch.

“I ate it,” Greim shared, “It was delicious, so I had a second and third helping of it. At that point, I knew that I had a product that I’d want to sell.”

Prior to Jeff’s Granola, Greim was the director of graduate studies at Bay Path University in nonprofit management and philanthropy.

In 2010, he studied the Newman’s Owns’ business model by actor/philanthropist Paul Newman – starting his own business of selling salad dressings and giving all the profits away to charity. Greim thought it was an inspiring idea and wanted to demonstrate that you didn’t have to be a movie star to successfully implement that business model.

“I had a notion that I wanted to start a company modeled on Newman’s Owns, but I didn’t have a product,” Greim told Reminder Publishing.

For a while, Greim admitted it was a hobby business until he retired in 2016 to devote himself full time to the company.

The company was originally called Your Choice Brands, but due to marketing purposes, they changed the name to Jeff’s Granola.

All of the recipes have been developed by Paulson. Flavors ranging     from original granola with oats, honey and mango, organic gluten-free original, crunchy seeds & oats and super premium pecans and cacao granola.

The company was nominated by Samalid Hogan, regional director of Massachusetts Small Business Development Center at the Western Regional Office. She provided ongoing advice and technical support to Greim for the past several years. Without her initiative and thoughtfulness, Greim said he never would have gotten the award.

“We see many clients like Jeff who have a business that are looking to seek advice on how to manage their business more efficient,” Hogan explained. “I wanted to nominate Jeff because he’s very committed, as all business owners are to their business, but especially his unique product.”

She went on to say, “It was brave of him to enter into the health food sale arena which is very competitive. I was impressed with everything Jeff has done so far and thought he was deserving of this award. It’s really an honor to have our clients being award winners.”

In 2019, Jeff’s Granola partnered with the Springfield Public Schools System in supplying healthy food to student cafeterias and giving back all profits to the not-for-profit Sodexo Springfield Weekend Backpack Program, resulting in a $6,752 donation in the last half of the year and is projected to generate a $10,000 donation in 2020.

Greim plans on expanding Jeff’s Granola. He is hopeful that the company will become a million-dollar business at least so that they can give $100,000 of profits away this year.

“If I could do anything with the business, I’d like to inspire younger entrepreneurs that are starting out,” Greim responded. “Demonstrate to them that the success of the company is really based on three things. One having a great quality product, selling it at a competitive price and donating 100 percent of profits to charity.”

He continued, “I think it’s that element. The donation aspect that has opened doors for me. It’s a trifecta of benefits that other companies cannot match.”

Jeff’s Granola is available at the following retail locations:

•Big Y, 802 Williams St, Longmeadow, MA

•Big Y, 441 N Main St, East Longmeadow, MA

•Big Y, 136 North King Street Route 5, Northampton, MA

•Big Y, 237 Mohawk Trail, Route 2, Greenfield, MA

•Big Y, 175 University Drive, Amherst, MA

•Big Y, 44 Willimansett Street, South Hadley, MA

•Big Y, 433 Center Street, Ludlow, MA  

•Fresh Acres Market, 1941 Wilbraham Rd, Springfield, MA

•Highland Park Market, 68 Bridge Street Suffield, CT

•River Valley Co-Op, 330 N King St, Northampton, MA

•State Street Fruit Store, 51 State Street, Northampton, MA

•Cooper’s Corner. 31 Main Street, Florence, MA

It is also available to order online at jeffsgranola.com and on Amazon.