New Carbon Co. thrives in South Bend
Better yet, they also got a tax break worth nearly $100,000 from city officials to entice them to relocate from their old location in Buchanan, Mich., just a stone’s throw north of the Indiana-Michigan border.
 “It was a very good move for us,” says Rick McKeel, president and CEO of the 72-year-old company, which makes the Golden Malted brand of pancake and waffle mix widely used in hotels and other businesses around the world. “We could be anywhere, but we like being in South Bend."“We needed to replace the run-down and dilapidated structure we’d been in for a long time,” says McKeel, who has worked for the company for 17 years.
So when they found an attractive, ready-to-move-in structure in South Bend that McKeel says was the “perfect size and perfect fit,” they were more than a little interested. After all the details were worked out, they made the move in 1999. McKeel says the new owners also altered the company’s name – but only just a bit. The old moniker was F.S. Carbon Co., for founder Fred S. Carbon.
But that’s about all they changed, sticking to their successful business model under which they supply waffle makers to hotels, restaurants and theme parks for free if the proprietors agree to use their mix. In addition, they sell some of their product online.
“We also service the waffle-making machines forever, as long as customers use our mix,” he says.
If you’ve stayed at one of the many hotel and motel chains that sell pancakes and waffles, chances are good you’ve eaten Golden Malted products, McKeel says. New Carbon is just another example of the different kinds of businesses with global reach that have capitalized on South Bend’s advantages. And from the looks of it, New Carbon is here to stay. |