Well, if imitation is a form of flattery, Blueberry Haven should consider ourselves very flattered. New blueberry lines are popping up around this area all the time.
Although I do think there is enough “blueberry love” to go around. I also know that business is business and we are all out to make our piece of the pie (pun intended). However, I never would have expected to be competing with people who have been in business with me since the beginning of Blueberry Haven. How lucky are we that we are all putting the mitten’s blueberries on the nations map?
I was once told by one of my Grand Haven mentors not to “worry about who comes after you; just keep plugging away at what you are doing.” I keep reminding myself of these strong words each time another copycat company shows up on my radar. I know that our product is truly special and cannot be duplicated—even when others try their best to create our same products. To those trying to copy us, I have to say, “At least have a little creativity and come up with your own unique blueberry products (and packaging ideas) for goodness sake!
So, I would just like to emphasize to our loyal customers that we started as a small company, and we are still running our business that same way. We have stayed faithful to our small purveyors who have helped us produce our many products over the years. In addition, we have stayed loyal to our many farmers, unless they have tried to knock us off or sell us berries that are a lower grade than we feel are acceptable to use at Blueberry Haven.
I do believe that, in the long run, business comes down to relationships—you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours. The same Grand Haven mentor who gave me the previous words of wisdom also advised me that “what goes around comes around.” I know this statement is true as I recently experienced this type of full circle event that was more than 20 years in the making.
So, no worries, Blueberry Haven friends! We continue to explore new and exciting companies that will help us grow our business. In the meantime, I am jetting off to a favorite country of mine very soon, and I plan to come home with something extraordinary to add to our shelves. Stay tuned to see what we reveal next. We aren’t mad; we are just determined to move onward and upward, and we will continue to see what comes around!
