As Joe Whinney, CEO and founder of Theo Chocolate, explained, "It all starts in Fremont."
Joe built his dream of an organic, fair-trade chocolate factory as a global company with sustainable roots at the Center of the Universe. Theo uses ingredients grown in Africa, Central America and Sweden, "but we wouldn't be able to do that without the support here."
Joe still has the original blueprints for the chocolate factory he intended to build - in Boston.
Joe knew the late Fremont entrepreneur Jeff Fairhall through mutual friends and of the factory Jeff and some partners at Essential Baking Co. wanted to start for making organic chocolate. When they wanted advice about starting a factory, Joe gave it to them. Finally, according to Joe, Jeff asked him to consider shifting his plans to the space they'd selected, the former Red Hook Brewery at 3400 Phinney Ave. N.
From bean to bar
Originally from Pennsylvania, Joe had moved to Boston for the sake of his son, Henry, when his ex-wife settled there. After visiting Fremont and seeing the 3400 Phinney building, Joe went back and talked to his ex about the possibility of their all relocating to Seattle. His ex-wife recalled asking him, "What if I say no?"
Serious negotiations ensued, but ultimately she said she reasoned that Joe wouldn't leave Henry, that Joe had stuck it out in Boston and now it was her turn to follow him.
Today, Deb Music, Joe's ex-wife and vice president of sales and marketing for Theo, teases, "We like to say Theo is our second child."
"One of the largest motivators," Joe said about his decision to relocate here, "was the community." In Boston, he recalled hearing comments like, 'If it was such a good idea, somebody else would have done it already.' On the East Coast, that means Hershey or Mars.
"The entrepreneur spirit isn't there what it is here," Joe explained. "The attitude here was 'Go for it! You can compete!'"
Increasing production
Theo began to sell its award-winning chocolate bars and con-fections in Seattle stores in March 2006. Today, distributors ship to stores in 48 states.
Comparing its sales growth from 2006 to 2007 overwhelms Pam Hinckley, Theo's "chief brand ambassador": "The number of retail outlets has tripled," she said.
The company has had to scale up production over the last six months to meet demand, with 32 employees. "We're running lean," Deb admitted.
It also offers corporate gifts and chocolate bars for fund-raising sales. For companies and nonprofit group that support sustainability, Joe asked, "Why would you sell anything else?"
For local schools, the chocolate also includes an education in food origins and mindful consumerism when kids tour the Theo factory.
Schools and birthday parties schedule tours, as do companies for team-building exercises or "morale events," as Deb described them.
"It puts them in a good mood," according to Pam, since chocolate brings out the best in most everyone.
Daily tours of the factory are available to the general public for a $5 charge, with a reservation.
"We do still have some work to do to make sure Seattle knows we're here," Pam declared.
On the tour I took, a mother admitted she'd only recently heard of Theo. On a whim, she had decided to take her daughters through the factory. The girls were too young to fully grasp the significance of Theo, the first-ever roaster of fair-trade-certified cocoa beans and only roaster of organic cocoa in the United States.
However, tour guide Alexandra Cramer patiently and humorously ran through the important fundamentals while giving frequent (and entirely truthful) reassurances: "Don't worry, kids! Free samples are given generously!"
Alexandra explained that many chocolate companies make confections from purchased chocolate they melt, but Theo is one of 14 companies in the United States that manufactures chocolate "from bean to bar."
The Theo gift shop offers Theo chocolate bars and an inspired selection of confections, plus books on chocolate and chocolate recipes.
Here also are such products as lip balm and sugar scrubs by Sweet Beauty and a chocolate-barbecue sauce by Tom Douglas, which uses organic Theo chocolate.
Those who haven't sampled the chocolate might know Theo through generous donations of its products and tours to charitable fundraisers and auctions.
Community support created Theo, and the company demonstrates a keen sense of responsibility to community. "We, as a company, will only impact so many," Joe explained. "The greatest way we can impact social change is by being good community stewards."
Locally, it gives space in its building for Fremont Chamber of Commerce and Fremont Arts Council events, including Mardi Gras.
Creative confections
The name "Theo" is a shortened form of Theobroma cacao, the Latin name of the tree on which cocoa pods grow. "Theobroma" translates as "food of the gods."
On Tuesday, Dec. 18, from 6 to 9 p.m., a chocolate social at Theo will feature many divinely delicious concoctions. Autumn Martin, Theo's renowned chocolatier, will be on hand to make her creative chocolate confections that challenge conventional notions of what chocolate must be.
From cacao beans grown in Madagascar to a factory in Fremont, realization of a dream of organic chocolate started in Fremont, and here, it thrives.
For information on tours or chocolate, call Theo at 632-5100 or visit www.theochocolate.com.
Kirby Lindsay shivers while she celebrates the winter solstice in Fremont. She welcomes your comments at fremont@oz.net.
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