December 2, 2005
14 • The Upper Columbia Pioneer
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Saturday, Dec. 3rd 4985 Hot Springs Road Fairmont
345-6807
7th Avenue, Invermere • 342-3262
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342-8877
Kicking Horse Coffee breaking new ground By Elinor Florence Pioneer Staff The aroma of roasting coffee is the smell of sweet success for a local couple who have turned their dream into a successful multi-million-dollar business. Leo Johnson and Elana Rosenfeld, who own Kicking Horse Coffee in Invermere, started their business just nine years ago in their garage. Since then the company has seen exponential growth – a 63-per-cent rise in sales in the past year alone. “What we used to do in a year we now do in a week,” Leo says. The company roasted over one million pounds of coffee Coffee roasting at Kicking Horse uses high-tech equipment. beans this year and a major expansion to their crossroads location is in the works. roasted and sent to major markets like Thrifty Foods, Leo and Elana were university students when they met waiting tables at Jasper Park Lodge in Safeway, Loblaw’s and Save-On Foods. The coffee is so popular it is giving Starbuck’s a run 1989. They travelled through the area and fell in love for the money. Kicking Horse is now a recognizable with Invermere before returning to Montreal, where brand, thanks in part to local rancher Chris Zehnder. Elana graduated two years later with a major in reli“We had a ton of names but when Chris said gious studies and a minor in women’s studies, and Leo ‘Kicking Horse’ it sounded perfect,” says Leo. The with a degree in sociology. Then they headed west. “We were so broke when we got here that social couple was so grateful that they named one of their services had to pay our first month’s rent,” Leo recalls. products Z-Wrangler after Chris. By far the most successful product is Kick Ass CofThey quickly found jobs as waiters and the followfee, a dark roast. The second most favourite is Three ing summer they opened a fruit stand on main street. Once they got a taste of running their own business, Sisters, combining light, medium and dark roasted beans. they were hooked. But what gave Kicking Horse an edge from the The couple bought a smoothie bar on main street start is that it was the first Canadian company to offer called Smoothie’s and renamed it The Blue Dog after both organic and Fair Trade coffee. their favourite bar in Montreal. Frustrated by the difOrganic coffee is grown and harvested without ficulty in finding organic coffee, they decided to start chemicals. That protects the health of the workers, their own roasting business. They advertised in Harrowsmith magazine offering the restaurant for sale. mostly women and children, who pick the beans. CofWithin weeks The Blue Dog sold to a couple from fee grown without chemicals also protects the environment where they live and work. Whitehorse, Brian McLaughlin and Liz Lane. Fair trade coffee is coffee that offers the grower a Leo and Elana spent the next year travelling, mostly through Asia, and returned to Invermere to fixed minimum price for his or her labour, guaranteeing that his or her expenses are covered. start looking for funds. “It’s part of our personal philosophy,” says Leo. Their reception was lukewarm. “I remember one That philosophy means that the couple and their of the bank managers telling us: ‘I’m just not getting employees work no weekends or overtime. Instead Leo the warm and fuzzies from your idea,’” Leo laughs. Even their families were skeptical. “Elana’s mother and Elana spend quality time with their two little girls, said: ‘What are you two schmucks going to do, sell Ariel, 7, and Aviva, 5. Elana has also become involved in local politics, coffee out of your garage?’” says Leo. serving a three-year term as Invermere councillor and That’s just what they did. With assistance from the Business Development Bank of Canada, a finan- actively lobbying against the proposed Jumbo Glacier cial institution owned by the federal government, the Resort. Recently the company even offered a coffee couple started roasting coffee in their garage on John- product called Jumbo Wild. Leo is a second-degree black belt karate expert and ston Road. spends his spare time teaching karate to kids. Since there was no training available, they spent To get away from the valley, the couple travels to a lot of time and energy experimenting with different places like Nicaragua where Kicking Horse coffee has types and recipes for roasted coffee as they struggled to its origins. learn their craft. Leo is the creative mind behind the business, and “When we first started out, there would be nights when we would just hold each other, saying: ‘What are Elana provides the organizational and leadership skills. Together their talents are the perfect blend. we doing?’” Last month they received a national Ongoing But their vision paid off. Seven years ago they Achievement award with a cash prize of $20,000 from formed Kicking Horse Coffee Ltd. and moved into the Business Development Bank of Canada, and Elana Athalmer, hiring one employee. The company took off like a bronco out of the was named one of the top 100 Chief Executive Offichute. Three years ago, Leo and Elana built a new in- cers in Canada by Profit magazine. “You have to have the determination and the vidustrial building near the crossroads and today they sion, but we were also out there every day pounding have 14 employees who help them keep the huge the pavement,” Leo says. roasting machines running. “If you truly believe in what you’re doing, you will Green coffee beans are imported by the semi-load from South America, Central America and Indonesia, succeed.”