Gaye Morrison Sandoz, 59, grew up in a home where large home-cooked meals were served. She developed a love for the food industry and business that has propelled her all the way to heading up the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator, which helps entrepreneurs with food-oriented businesses bring their ideas to the market.
As detailed in Business Report’s latest Executive Spotlight feature, Sandoz has spent 37 years in the food business, and has discovered a passion for helping companies in creating and successfully bringing food products to the market.
Sandoz, an Opelousas native, is the director of the incubator. Her latest challenge is expanding it into a Food Innovation Center to meet the growing needs of the community and state.
“In the year 2000, I became a tenant in the LBTC run by Charlie D’Agostino and became interested in the incubator business model,” Sandoz says. “I was a food product consultant and director of the first food incubator created in the state. With Charlie’s experience and guidance with food incubators I learned how the food incubators and innovation centers would be a great fit for our state.”
Sandoz says the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator has local partners and focuses on supporting local businesses. It also creates business for local graphic and website designers, insurance companies, bottle and label companies, ingredient suppliers and grocery stores.
In 2014, the food incubator secured funding for a new kitchen and analytics labs. Sandoz says the new equipment is being ordered and some has been delivered.
“We purchased a commercial juicer and cooler that is assisting a local juice shop, The Big Squeezy, to expand and produce more fresh squeezed juices for the wholesale market,” she says. “At the present time we are utilizing existing space on campus but have outgrown our facilities. We hope to secure funding from outside sources to assist in expanding,”
Read the full Executive Spotlight Q&A. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
How are you managing growth at the LSU AgCenter Food Incubator?
We manage the growth with the support of our amazing staff, the AgCenter administration and communication department, food science department and guidance from the LBTC. Organization and dedication from our staff members is the key to the growth management, and this is a challenge but a wonderful challenge to have.
