RADD Foods
A Marquette-based small business specializing in dairy-free cheese is expanding its reach beyond the U.P. thanks to support from the MEDC’s SSBCI program
What happens when you love cheese, but it doesn’t love you back? For RADD Foods co-founders Emily and Cole Williams, it means going on a quest to develop the most delicious dairy-free cheese possible. Today, RADD Foods can be found in 40 stores around Michigan and Indiana, with plans to expand including Meijer Market Format Stores and release new products, including different formats and more unique flavors.
Emily, who was born and raised in Marquette, Michigan, met her husband Cole while living in Los Angeles and moved with him to Austin. The couple owned a short-term rental in Marquette, and when the pandemic began, Emily says it felt like it was the right time to move back home and manage the property.
“Once we got here, we realized that there was a hole in the market for this property management business, so that started to really organically grow,” said Emily. “From the profits with that business, we were able to bootstrap and launch our food business, which is really our true passion.”
After not being satisfied with different plant-based and dairy-free cheese options, Emily and Cole spent an evening in their kitchen with a Vitamix and a bunch of ingredients. The couple now calls it their “favorite date night.” As avid foodies, they were trying to find solutions that didn’t sacrifice on taste or texture. The result? Tangy Ranch and Frank’s RedHot flavors; RADD Foods now has a relationship with spice company McCormick and licenses Frank’s RedHot as an official ingredient.
The Williamses reached out to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) for support and resources to assist with the development of their small business. The MEDC provided $200,000 in State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) loan guarantee support in November 2024, which went toward start-up operating costs such as nationwide distributor set-up, trade show registration fees, travel expenses, sample products, McCormick licensing fees and inventory.
Emily says that in comparison to California and Texas, where it would have been difficult to launch a consumer packaged good, Michigan was the perfect place to build their small business.
“This state is unmatched in the resources that it's offering to small businesses, to emerging businesses, to people like us that want to grow and become big businesses. Whether it's MDARD, Michigan Women Forward, the MEDC or hyper-local programs like we have in Marquette, there is so much happening for entrepreneurs – and specifically for female entrepreneurs – that there's no way we can leave. We feel so lucky to be launching our business in such a supportive and beautiful place.”
Emily says it’s exciting to be back home in Marquette and see the growth and opportunity in the area, from the access to talent at Northern Michigan University to the community supporting a homegrown business.
“When I brought my husband here, he fell in love with it and said, ‘How do we spend more time here?’ Lake Superior is just magical. I didn't anticipate coming home and now that we're here, it feels like we just shouldn't be anywhere else. It's perfect.”
Learn how the MEDC is helping small businesses bring home the cheese.
