After a successful career as a leasing manager and product development manager, Susan Stupak of Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba, was 48 years old. She felt she needed a change. Her husband suggested that “change” should be a well-deserved soft landing into retirement.
But Susan Stupak was thinking along different lines.
As a woman approaching the age of 50, she felt in the prime of her life — so she deiced to start a new business. The result was the launch of The Stak Co., an idea for a new kind of organic, sustainable food company deeply influenced by her Canadian indigenous Métis heritage. The food she would sell is beans and legumes.
Guaranteed Organic, Healthy Sustainable
What makes this company special is that all its products are non-GMO and organically grown locally on southern Manitoba farms. The “Stak” in the company name is a nod to Stupak’s Métis ancestors who kept stacks of burlap sacks loaded with non-perishables, including a lot of pulse beans.
As for pulse beans, Stupak serendipitously got a boost from none other than the United Nations. Just months after she launched, the U.N. declared 2016 the “International Year of Pulses.” The latter refers to foods, such as beans, legumes and edible seeds that are harvested dry and enjoy a very long storage life without needing energy-intensive preservation measures.
Global U.N. efforts to promote the value of pulse beans coincided perfectly with Stupak’s determination to raise the profile of her product and educate her market on why it is a food with superior nutritional value and a smart buy.
A Knack for Clever Marketing
Her first two products were bean-mix packages called Loco Burrito and Tortilla Soup Fiesta. Yes, this company may have started in Canada, but Stupack has no qualms about marketing what sounds like Tex-Mex fair. It demonstrates her marketing strategy of giving her products universal appeal. She did not want to limit herself by appearing too regional.
Stupak has also shown a knack for whimsy in product development. For example, one of her package mixes is called, “Housework Makes You Ugly Pea Soup.”
The Stack Co. was a hit right out of the gate, although Stupak worked tirelessly for months to get her wares onto the shelves of retail outlets. Stak pulse bean products are now available in thousands of stores across Canada.
