Our story began over two mother’s shared love for kombucha in a small kitchen nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Fifteen years later, 137 employees*, and multiple facilities, we’ve come a long way, enduring plenty of growing pains in between. From moving a small-batch home production into our first commercial space in 2010 to expanding into a 30,000 sq. ft. brewery seven years later to forming our private label manufacturing company, FedUp Foods, in 2020, each new chapter has expanded our capabilities and brought incredible growth to our team as we’ve defied convention and pushed the boundaries of what is expected from a typical kombucha brewer and beverage manufacturer.
Through every up and down as we’ve forged ahead in our efforts to bring fermented functional beverages to people across the country, one thing has rung true — our team is the heart and soul of who we are, and it’s the faces behind FedUp Foods that create our success. They’re the reason why we’ve been able to accomplish all that we have and are the driving force behind our efforts to make our company a workplace that nurtures and develops every team member who chooses to call us home.
*120 Full-Time and 17 Part-Time/On-Call Employees as of April 2024
Our Approach to Fostering a Supportive Workplace Environment
For the majority of Americans, work is where we spend most of our days and our time. The average full-time worker in this country will spend a total of 2,080 hours working a year. To put that into perspective, you could fly from our home base in North Carolina to Australia roughly 99 times.
So when we think of how much time we dedicate to work, how important is the kind of place we’re working?
According to Forbes, recent studies show that 25% of employees feel they don’t belong at their workplace and 40% of employees feel isolated. At FedUp Foods, we’ve made it a focus to do everything in our power to go against the grain and be a different kind of workplace — to value and empower our team by fostering a collaborative and adaptable community, providing growth opportunities and creating a supportive environment where our team members can thrive both personally and professionally.
Creating a Culture That Invests in People First
Simon Senek, award-winning author and business leadership speaker says, “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.”
Creating an environment where people feel invested in and in turn, want to invest in, continues to be something we strive to work toward every day. After 15 years of learning, growing, failing, and getting back up, we believe it's both a privilege and an obligation that we build into our organizational DNA tangible programs that invest in our team member's personal and professional growth for however long they choose to be with us.
So, how are we doing it?
Between FedUp Food’s inception in 2020 to the close of 2023, we’ve steadily increased hours dedicated to training and continuing education.
In 2023, we unveiled the FedUp Foods Academy, a hub for personal and professional development courses. This platform will encompass a wide range of topics, including personal finance, business finance, home buying, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and more. The FedUp Foods Academy is dedicated to educating, empowering, and equipping our team with essential tools, training, and development to provide opportunities for growth and advancement.
Through each of these efforts, our goal is to create an environment that gives our employees the opportunity to stretch further than they imagined possible, because we firmly believe that when you take time to show your commitment to team members' growth, both personally and professionally, they, in return, are dedicated to the growth and success of their teammates and the organization as a whole.
Developing a Hiring Philosophy that Supports Our Team & Nurtures Growth
As our company has experienced growth spurts over the years, our team has blossomed in tandem.
We’ve proudly watched as members have grown and developed into new roles and cheered on new faces as they’ve started their journey with us. Whether someone has been with us for five years or five months, our team continues to be unified by an ambition to grow in a culture that nurtures and supports their personal and professional goals, and makes them feel welcomed, valued and empowered
Our core values not only guide who we hire, but shape our culture that thrives on agility, collaboration, community engagement, lifelong learning, gratitude, and effective communication.
Agility
We cherish the spirit of agility in every thought and action, seeking team members who can adapt to the fast-paced and dynamic nature of the food industry. We are drawn to individuals who are not just reacting but proactively adapting to the dynamic rhythms of our field, who show the willingness to navigate challenges with resilience.
Collaboration
Everyone says this, but we truly believe we have the best team imaginable — from production, to product development, marketing, and sales. Our best, most innovative solutions have emerged by bringing together bright minds with genuine enjoyment for what we do. As such, we seek team players who can work collaboratively with diverse perspectives, foster an inclusive environment, and contribute to the collective success of the organization.
Community Engagement
FedUp Foods is deeply committed to nurturing the communities we serve. We seek individuals who share our passion for community well-being and are dedicated to making a positive impact. Candidates should embody a spirit of social responsibility and actively contribute to initiatives that support the health and vitality of our communities.
Lifelong Learning
We strongly believe in a growth mindset and continuous improvement. We look for candidates who are curious, embrace new challenges, and are committed to personal and professional development.To support our team's learning journey, we have created the FedUp Foods Academy, which is designed to equip our team with essential tools, training, and development.
We’ve forged partnerships with various educational institutions to provide career development and training opportunities in areas like: communication, conflict resolution, management skills, time management and prioritization, project management, and more.
Gratitude
Gratitude is the cornerstone of our culture. We appreciate the efforts of every team member and express gratitude for the contributions that make FedUp Foods successful and seek individuals who bring a positive attitude, appreciation for their colleagues, and a genuine sense of gratitude for the opportunities we have to make a difference.
Communication
Effective communication is the lifeblood of successful teams! We continuously seek input and feedback from our team because we value their unique perspectives and want to ensure everyone’s voice is heard. In turn, we also encourage team members to communicate transparently, listen actively and express ideas clearly.
Our team works through each day with the understanding that agility is the cornerstone to thriving in an ever changing world, community is foundational, learning can never stop, communication will make or break it, collaboration propels us forward, and gratitude is the glue that holds relationships together when things get tough. By aligning our hiring practices with these core values, we strive to build a team at FedUp Foods that not only excels in innovation and quality but also embodies the principles that define our unique culture and contribute to our collective success.
Where We’re Going: The Future of FedUp Foods
If 15 years has taught us anything, it’s that there’s still plenty of change and growth to come. We look forward to continuing to expand our benefits, training programs and tools for development, and to watching our team members reach new goals.
Our Co-founder and VP of People & Purpose, Sarah Mullins, says it best, “Our vision goes beyond business success to being a force for good in the world. To provide job advancement and opportunities for our team, the local workforce, and contributing to the overall wellbeing of the communities in which we serve.”
As we celebrate every milestone, each team win, and plan for the future, we continue to be dedicated to using business as a force for good for our employees, the planet, and those who will come after us.
Join Our Team at FedUp Foods
We value, and empower our team by fostering a collaborative and adaptable community, providing growth opportunities, and creating a supportive environment where you can thrive both personally, and professionally. If this resonates with you, view our open positions to start your career at FedUp Foods!
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