Mud Bay Granary
SCORE Helps Family-Owned Business Go to the Dogs (and the Cats and the Birds)
Lars Wulff rejoined his family’s Mud Bay Granary in 1993 with the long-term goal of putting himself out of a job. Several years earlier, Lars had taken a sabbatical from his career as a political consultant and writer to help his mother Elsa stabilize the Olympia, WA, store she had co-founded with his sister Yolanka. Now with the help of his younger sister Marisa, who had recently earned an MBA, the family planned to put Mud Bay’s financial affairs in order so that the store could be sold.
Before long, Lars and Marisa discovered that running a business was fun, particularly because few other stores offered natural foods for dogs, cats and wild birds. They soon immersed themselves in making the store financially viable, learning as much as possible about animal nutrition, food preparation and packaging and other pet care issues. Mud Bay also became a valuable resource for Puget Sound pet owners concerned about the health of their furry and feathered companions.
When a friend recommended SCORE as a business resource, Lars was skeptical. “It seemed improbable that an organization would offer valuable business advice for free,” he says. “Nevertheless, I went to the phone book and made some calls.”
"There’s nothing like confiding in someone who you know will provide you with an informed, objective opinion. People who don’t take advantage of SCORE are missing a fantastic opportunity.”
—Lars Wulff, Owner, Mud Bay Granary
Lars soon began working with Volunteer Counselor Jerry Zyskowski, former chief engineer at Boeing, on ways to improve the store’s profitability. They examined Mud Bay’s product mix and financial performance, and benchmarked the store against other retailers. With improved profits and an expanding customer base came valuable publicity and, in 1999, the Washington Family Business Award in the small business category.
“Jerry’s background was perfect for our needs,” Lars says. “At Boeing, he had managed many complicated, fast-moving projects where needs and conditions continually changed—just like the retail business.”
That experience proved particularly valuable in 2000, when Mud Bay seized the opportunity to acquire a failing local pet store chain. With SCORE providing assistance with business strategy, start-up issues and financial planning, Mud Bay secured an SBA-backed loan to grow from a single location to a nine-store company virtually overnight.
Today, Lars reports that Mud Bay Granary is enjoying its best year ever with annual revenue reaching $7 million. He continues to meet regularly with Jerry Zyskowski to discuss business issues and opportunities and, in general, “help me be a better CEO.”
Lars likens SCORE’s counseling services to “therapy for people who run small businesses. There’s nothing like confiding in someone