Yaupon Brothers American Tea was chosen as one of Orlando Business Journal's 2022 Fire Awards honorees, who were featured in OBJ's April 29-May 5, 2022, weekly edition.
The Edgewater-based firm makes a tea product from the Florida native Yaupon Holly, the only native plant in the U.S. that contains caffeine. Yaupon provides farmers with a sustainable low-cost, high-profit crop.
Here's more from co-founder Kyle White:
What was your company’s biggest accomplishment of 2021? It was a three-way tie between getting into all Florida Whole Foods Markets, getting investment from Morgan Freeman and building our new factory.
How did you get it done? We have an incredible team.
How does your company stay innovative and on the cutting-edge? Our team always is willing to try new things, and we are incredibly passionate about what we do. We are relentlessly driven to make Yaupon the next cash crop of the Southeast U.S.
What strategies have you implemented to recruit and/or retain talent in a competitive labor market? Our company believes in creating a culture for our employees that helps them grow into the best version of themselves by providing them with good pay and opportunity.
What is the biggest challenge facing your industry? Telling the story of Yaupon and why it's important still is a critical challenge for us.
What is your company’s top goal for 2022? To continue to expand into larger format retail, plant more farms and hopefully open our new Clarksdale, Mississippi, facility.
In the past year, what progress have you seen in the growth of Central Florida’s entrepreneurial and tech ecosystems? It seems like the local ecosystem is coming together in a big way. People are really starting to believe in Orlando and it is refreshing to see.
What is the local technology and innovation sector’s biggest obstacle to more growth? It is just time. It seems like the big guys across the country are starting to buy into Orlando. All the pieces seem to be falling into place. We believe it is just a matter of time before Orlando is the next big entrepreneur hub.
Yaupon Brothers American Tea
- Top executives: Kyle and Bryon White, co-founders
- Founded: 2015
- 2021 revenue: $995,000
- 2021 YOY revenue growth: 100%
- Capital raised since founding: Fundraising in progress
- Employees in Central Florida: 16
- Employees companywide: 25
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