Help Uncle Lars overcome his Disability

Hi, my name is Lars as in Uncle Lars, the soon to be known salad dressing brand. Upon graduating from the Yale School of Management with my MBA, I took a job with L'Oreal in marketing. After 6 years with L'Oreal, 4 in NYC and 2 in the Paris offices, I decided it was time to go out on my own.

 

My first undertaking was an advertising agency. After 3 years of achieving success with said company, I had the most unfortunate car crash in which I lost a leg. In an instant, the vigorous marathon runner was reduced to hobbling around on a prosthetic leg.

 

My story is one of beating the odds. I was in a coma 3 days shy of a month. Many doctors at the hospital predicted I would need care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After extensive therapy and 9 months of convalescence to re-orient myself and adjust to my new reality, I learned how to ride my bike again. The most nerve racking aspect of that experience was knowing that I was going to crash, every time I started to ride. As difficult as that experience was, I persevered and after 3 months learned how to ride my bike, again.

 

Upon returning to work at the advertising agency, my business partner soured on me and considered me damaged goods, needless to say, we parted ways. After a stint as a real estate developer fixing up antique properties for modern living, I found my way to my true calling, superior salad dressings for the discerning palettes of this world. I moved to Portland, OR, to be in the thick of what is arguably the most innovative cuisine in the country.

 

Shortly after I launched Uncle Lars. I opened up distribution in New Seasons Market, a chain of 18 stores that really is at the forefront of excellent cuisine in Oregon. It was the first retailer to sell Uncle Lars salad dressing. After other successes with various retailers, and two years of negotiating and persuading Whole Foods Market, I finally convinced them to take Uncle Lars. You will be able to purchase Uncle Lars salad dressing in Whole Foods Market in all stores in OR and WA by October 1.

 

This is why I am raising money. I have to prepare my production capabilities for the next chapter of Uncle Lars. After approaching multiple co-packing companies in the area, I concluded the best way for me to ensure the quality of production is to automate and manage the production at Uncle Lars, LLC. The co-packing companies invariably wanted to substitute lesser quality ingredients for my more expensive, better quality ingredients. Salad dressing is only as good as the raw materials you use in the manufacturing of it.

 

To that end I am aiming to raise in this initial round of financing at least $150,000. This funding will enable me to fund the initial production line (filling machine(s), capping and closure acquisition, high speed food processors. , a lease on real estate that can house the production and storage of finished goods inventory, and it will pay for any fees and taxes associated with raising this money.

 

I need the funds fairly soon. I need to procure the equipment and to find a space that is affordable to rent. My goal is to have the funds in    the bank by December 2022. I need to be ready to produce the initial pipeline order for the California market in the spring of 2023. That's the goal, at least.

 

Who benefits you ask? The general public will benefit. I am bringing better tasting, more flavorful salad dressing to the market. All of us need to be eating more delicious salad. I do not add any sugars or dairy to my products. It's a shame when you finally get excited about eating a healthy salad, only to drown it in an unhealthy salad dressing. I use sunflower seed oil (has no trans-fats), Dijon mustard from France, the best vinegars from Modena, Italy and the U.S., local herbs and honey, and organic cranberries from Canada in the Uncle Lars flavor, Kiss of Citrus.

 

I know from the product demonstrations I conduct that there is an overwhelming demand for Uncle Lars salad dressing. I have people from all over the country who have received it as a gift and cannot get enough. They call me clamoring for it. This anecdotal evidence fuels my desire to deliver the most flavorful salad dressing to as many people as possible.

 

Please visit my web site at www.unclelars.com.