One quick scan of the shelves in any grocery, convenience or super-store will bear witness to the popularity and variety that cheese and yogurt products have in today’s market. Combining that popularity with his acumen for developing a new business, and driven by a burning desire to produce unique and flavorful yogurt and related products, is the formula Elias Hazou followed to bring his small business enterprises to fruition.

Mr. Hazou started working with William D. Tully of the SBDC at Paterson in June 2005, when Mr. Hazou was seeking assistance on financing his food manufacturing and packaging business. Despite his many years in the field, Mr. Hazou had no credit rating. He also needed a business plan. However, according to Bill Tully, the plan at first was too ambitious. Mr. Hazou was hoping to combine the cheese business (Authentic Foods), for which he was looking for a new location, with his new dream of producing organic fruit drinks (Hazou Gourmet Inc.). Bill suggested that he cut back or suspend his plan to expand the cheese and yogurt business in order to generate cash flow, and use the profits to launch the organic drinks. Mr. Hazou followed Tully’s advice. He adopted the approach and is now in full operation.

In a field that may seem overcrowded, Mr. Hazou’s cheese and yogurt business is thriving and growing. He credits his competitive advantage to quality, flavor and reduced manufacturing costs. Eight people have been hired at his Paterson factory to handle the orders for yogurt and yogurt drinks, salad dressings, and cheeses produced for various ethnic markets (Middle Eastern, Jewish and Hispanic). Mr. Hazou was also able to obtain financing for his expansion, and to help him keep up with the demand from supermarket distributors in New York and New Jersey.

While we do not expect Mr. Hazou to reveal any secret ingredients in his products’ success, he is fairly open about the contributions and his relationship with the SBDC: “The (William Paterson) SBDC was the protein – the vitamin – that kept me going to realize my dream.” Ask Bill Tully, and he will tell you there is another active ingredient responsible for his success: “Mr. Hazou’s enthusiasm for the business that he envisioned and wanted to create made it a joy to assist him in his dream.”