TOMORROW AT 10 A.M. RIGHT HERE ON "LIVE IN THE D."
JASON?
JASON? >> Jason: BUSINESSES ARE DOING
ALL THEY CAN TO KEEP THINGS
GOING DURING THESE TRYING TIMES.
IN SOME CASES, THAT MEANS
PIVOTING TO MAKE NEW PRODUCTS
BUT CONSTITUTIONAL OFFER THE
POPULAR ITEMS CUSTOMERS LOVE.
ONE FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS DOING
THAT IS BLAKE’S ORCHARD AND
CIDER MILL IN ARMADA.
AND JOINING ME IS ANDREW BLAKE.
THANK YOU FOR TALKING TO US!
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, GUYS!
I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, I’M
WEARING PANTS.
WEARING PANTS. >> Jason: SO AM I.
GOTTA GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
OUR A FAMILY-OWNED COMPANY AND
SALES HAVE SPIKED?
>> YEAH, WEAVER BEEN FORTUNATE
ENOUGH, WHEN THIS THING FIRST
STARTED, AND OBVIOUSLY IT’S A
MOVING TARGET EVERY WEEK, BUT WE
TALK ALL THREE LOCATIONS AND
CONVERTED THEM TO FARMERS MARKET
AND DRIVE-THRU RETAIL STORE.
SO KUDOS TO THE CREW HERE FOR
PIVOTING FOR THE TIMES.
WE HAVE A PRODUCE OFFERING, A
BAKE REOFFERING.
BAKE REOFFERING. PEOPLE CAN GET DRIVE-THRU
TASTING ROOM PRODUCTS AS WELL.
SO IT’S BEEN A QUICK PIVOT AND
MUCH APPRECIATION TO THE TEAM
FOR PIVOTING IN SUCH A WAY.
AND BECAUSE OF OUR BREWING,
DISTILLING AND WINE-MAKING
LICENSE, WE MAKE HAND SANITIZER
FOR LOCAL HOSPITALS, LOCAL
BUSINESSES AND THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY AND IT’S A GREAT
SUCCESS SO FAR.
>> Jason: EXCELLENT.
IF I WERE TO GO THERE AND SAY,
HEY, AND LOAD UP THE TRUNK, IF I
WANTED TO DO SOMETHING AT HOME
AND SET UP A TASTING ROOM, HOW
WOULD I DO THAT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I GUESS ONE
OF THE THINGS WE’VE DONE HERE AT
BLAKE’S IS WE HAVE -- WE WENT
E-COMMERCE WITH ALMOST
EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING. NO MATTER WHAT YOU WANT OR A
CIDER MIMOSA, AVAILABLE IN THE
STORES, ORDER ONLINE, PICK UP
ALL OF YOUR GOODS, COME BACK TO
YOUR HOUSE AND, YOU KNOW, BEGIN
MAKING YOUR COCKTAIL BAR.
AND WE’VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE ON REGULAR ORDERS FOR
NOT ONLY PRODUCE BUT ALSO SOME
OF OUR NEW RELEASES, AS WELL.
AND WE’RE TRYING TO STAY CURRENT
AND RELEVANT FOR OUR CUSTOMERS
DURING THIS TIME AND INNOVATING
NEW PRODUCTS SO PEOPLE CAN
RESTOCK THEIR BARS.
AND SO WE’RE HOPING TO BE THAT
KIND OF -- OFFER THAT KIND OF
EXPERIENCE AND THOSE TYPE OF
PRODUCTS DURING THIS TIME.
>> Jason: AND YOU’RE GIVING BACK
TO THE COMMUNITY BY HELPING
LOCAL KIDS.
LOCAL KIDS. HOW SO?
HOW SO? >> ARMADA IS A SMALL-KNIT
COMMUNITY, A LOT OF TEACHERS,
POLICE DEPARTMENT, FIRE
DEPARTMENT, THEY ALL COME HERE
AND WORK ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN
THE SCHOOLS GOT CLOSED DOWN AND
IT CAME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT A
LOT OF SCHOOLS RELY ON SCHOOLS
FOR FOOD.
FOR FOOD. SO WITH THAT, NO QUESTIONS
ASKED, MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY,
ANY TIME AFTER 12:00, COME TO
OUR CIDER MILL, FREE LUNCH IS ON
US, NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
IT’S A PROGRAM THAT WILL
CONTINUE TO ROLL AND WE’RE HAPPY
TO DO IT.
TO DO IT. >> Jason: HOW DO YOU CHOOSE
WHERE TO DISTRIBUTE CERTAIN
FLAVORS OF YOUR HARD CIDER?
IN SOME STORES, I CAN ONLY GET
THE MULTI-PACK, AND THEN I
LUCKED OUT INTO A 4-PACK OR
6-PACK.
6-PACK. IS THERE A DISTRIBUTION MODEL?
YES.
YES. GO TO BLAKESHARDCIDER.COM AND IT
WILL TELL WHAT YOU PRODUCTS IS
AVAILABLE AT WHAT STORES.
THAT GOES THROUGH THE BUYER AND
CORPORATE LEVEL AND A LOT OF
THEM GO FOR THE PRODUCT
PORTFOLIO.
PORTFOLIO. AND WE’VE HAD GREAT SUPPORT FROM
RETAILERS WHO WE CARE A LOT
ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE ALWAYS FULL SUPPORTIVE
OF OUR ENTIRE PORTFOLIO.
SOME OF THE LARGER RETAILERS ARE
EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE AND WILL
NARROW OUR SKEW SET DOWN TO 3 OR
4.
4. >> Jason: IT WAS A PLEASURE
SPEAKING WITH YOU.
>> TAKE CARE.
>> Jason: YOU AS WELL.
THAT WAS ANDREW FROM BLAKE’S,