A Winslow maker of gluten-free homemade crackers, Maine Crisp Co., has named new CEO.
Lewis Goldstein, who has worked with brands like Sam Adams, Snapple, Kiss My Face (a clean and vegan personal care company) and Organic Valley, takes over the top leadership spot at the growing snack-food company.
Maine Crisp was founded in 2014 by Karen Getz, who launched the business in the basement of her home in Waterville. The company started small, selling at farmer’s markets and food co-ops, with the Belfast Food Co-op being an early and loyal supporter. In 2017, the operations were moved to a 2,500 square-foot leased space at 10 Railroad Square in Waterville.
In 2018, Michael Ross, a former business partner of Steve Getz, invested $500,000 and came on as CEO. Ross and Steve Getz, Karen’s husband and business partner, worked to raise capital for the company, allowed Maine Crisp to hire more staff.
In December 2021, Ross invested $475,000 in a 17,000-square-foot industrial building in Winslow. After renovations, the company moved in this past September. The $1.3 million build-out was completed by local contractor, Sheridan Construction Corp. of Fairfield.
Karen and Steve Getz and Michael Ross were named Mainebiz Business Leaders of the year in 2021.
The new CEO
While at Organic Valley, Goldstein was given a package of Maine Crisps by Steve Getz, a former colleague at Organic Valley. Goldstein loved the product. He understood the market potential of better-for-you snacks and was inspired by the Maine-grown buckwheat that forms the basis of the naturally gluten-free crisps. He joined the Maine Crisp board of directors in January 2021. He became CEO in late November.
Goldstein has many upcoming projects that will be announced in 2023. The strategic direction reflects his vision of Maine Crisp leading the movement toward buckwheat becoming the next superfood in the natural and organic sector.
“As Maine Crisp looks to expand into several product categories, we felt that it was critical to bring in a CEO with both a strong CPG background and a bold strategic vision,” said Ross, who is now chairman of Maine Crisp. “We are confident that under Lewis’ leadership, Maine Crisp will evolve from a specialty cracker brand to a company that offers the delicious and nutritious benefits of buckwheat in multiple exciting categories to enhance the consumer experience.”
Maine Crisp makes homemade certified gluten-free crackers out of Winslow. The crackers contain local Maine buckwheat flour, raw honey, wild Maine blueberries and sea salt. The flavors are Wild Blueberry Walnut, Cranberry Almond and Cinnamon Maple.