ABOUT ALL THINGS RICH

How did ALL THINGS RICH happen?

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In the 1980s, I worked in the food business. I joined some friends in creating a café in Seattle. I loved the food business. I had trained for a bit with a chef in the 70s, who informed me that I was too nice to be a great chef.  Okay. I do not call myself a Chef.  But my wife told me “Until I met you, I did not know that food could be an art form.” I replied “What a nice thing to say.” But she is not alone. I am a pretty good cook.

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By 1987, I was the only surviving original owner. 

With too many sixteen hours days,  I worked myself into the hospital.

When I was released, I decided to do anything else. I sold the business.

I did some remodeling contracting. While doing this, I studied chemistry, among other things. 

 

In 1991, I started ECOTOOLS LLC, an environmentally friendly water treatment company. 

This business took me all over the world. By 2012, I was burned out with the water treatment industry. A chap came over one day and asked me if I wanted to go back into the food business. I remembered that I had loved that business, but had trouble making living. But I began and after some false starts, I prospered. My mission is to provide high quality foods at a price that people can afford. I don’t spend money on fancy packaging or celebrity spokespeople. 

My prices are generally roughly 10% below my competition. Trust me, I make a good profit, but by strategic placement, I am often grower or importer direct, cutting out distributor and wholesale markups.

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The industry rule of thumb is: 

Distributor marks products up 40% to the wholesaler. 

Wholesaler marks that price up 40% to the retailer.

Retailer marks that up 100% to 200%.

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They have to do this. It is their cost of doing business. They have much higher costs than I do.

Can you see how I can make my profit by going direct?  People are often surprised by my prices.

I have local and regional products that are not readily accessible elsewhere in Tacoma.

I have imported products not available anywhere else at the prices I charge.