Louisville beverage company heralded by state, national leaders as example of small business success

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- What started out as a local Louisville beverage company has turned into a multimillion-dollar operation.

After starting 30 years ago, Flavorman has grown into a business headquartered in Louisville with 68 employees. Confidentiality is key, with ingredients and combinations kept tightly under wraps.

On Tuesday, science was at work at the Louisville tasting lab as chemists and food scientists measured and tested what could be the next big thing when it comes to the beverage industry.

"You really find your success," said David Dafoe, founder and CEO of Flavorman. "For us, it is the number of beverages we create every year. When we go to the store and we see all these beverages on the shelf, we are like 'We did that.'"

Dafoe welcomed President Joe Biden’s Small Business Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman and Kentucky U.S. Congressman Morgan McGarvey to take a tour of the facility Tuesday. Guzman presented Dafoe with a national award recognizing him for his success as a small business owner.

"Not only are they successful as entrepreneurs themselves but they are also helping to create entrepreneurs around the country and the globe," she said.

Business is bubbling for Flavorman. In addition to a new 27,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center, it also hosts Moonshine University to teach students who want a career in a distillery.

"We have a good infrastructure here for small businesses, and there are places to go learn," Dafoe said. "The SBA has a ton of places locally you can go and learn things."

Many small businesses are setting up shop around the commonwealth. In the last two years, Kentucky has had 115,000 new applications.

"Our local community — they know to keep Louisville weird," said Jennifer Lubenstein, executive director of the Louisville Independent Business Alliance. "They know why buying local is important, and, for those businesses to feel that love, that makes a difference to our small business community.

But Lubenstein was quick to point out what it calls a "Silver Tsunami."

"There is a huge age shift of folks that are approaching 60 and thinking about 'What am I going to do next?'" she said. "So we have shifted our programming to focus more on succession planning."

Not only is it important for new businesses to grow, but retention also needs to be a focus. That's what Dafoe was focused on three decades ago, and now, he has clients around the world, including Jones Soda, Kellogg's, Chiquita Brands and Ocean Spray.

But despite Flavorman's now global appeal, Dafoe knows his roots remain in Louisville.

"This is awesome, but I look around this room and I see all these people who really made it happen," he said. "And so I am really grateful to everyone in this room."

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Louisville beverage company heralded by state, national leaders as example of small business success