Steep Hill Solutions
While observing the scenery at one of her favourite Halifax lunch spots, Sharon Costey was surprised to witness a young man shaking copious amounts of nutritional tabletop flaxseed onto his less-than-nutritional extra large poutine.
In fact, this Mount Saint Vincent University professor was so intrigued by the apparent oxymoron that she invited Brent Larsen, president of Steep Hill Solutions, to speak to her post-secondary nutrition class about his flagship health product, Omega Crunch Flax.
But, as Brent Larsen explains, the scene described above is not unusual, nor is it unintended.
“Our product is one that anyone can use. We zoom in on everyday people who want to make small changes with respect to health and nutrition.”
Omega Crunch Flax is a table-top flaxseed condiment, intended for everyday use in the same way salt, pepper, or ketchup are used.
“Our product addresses the growing desire among our population to make healthy choices that taste good,” explains Larsen. “Many people find it difficult to incorporate flax into their diets.”
With that in mind, Brent Larsen (through his company, Steep Hill Solutions) created a product that combined shelled flaxseed with Nova Scotia maple syrup.
When Omega Crunch Flax first found its way onto grocers’ shelves, it was embraced as a breakfast staple. The maple flavour mixes well with breakfast foods like pancakes, oatmeal, cereal, and yogurt. Today, however, Omega Crunch Flax comes in regular and roasted garlic flavours.
So, where can you purchase this new nutritional must-have?
Well, you certainly don’t have to hunt it down in the far corners of health-food stores. In fact, Nova Scotians don’t have to go out of their way at all to find the convenient flaxseed shakers.
“There are about 200 stores across Canada carrying Omega Crunch Flax,” says Larsen. “Here in our own province, you can find it alongside spices at Pete’s Frootique, Planet Organic, and even Sobeys.”
It’s no wonder so many stores have been keen to adopt Omega Crunch Flax: it’s causing a buzz across the nation. Larsen was featured on Canada AM just last March and has also done spots on Breakfast Television in Vancouver and Calgary, to name a few.
Brent Larsen, or the Flax Man as he’s been coined on television and at tradeshows, refers to Omega Crunch Flax as his flagship product. He runs a business called Steep Hill Solutions.
“The mandate of Steep Hill Solutions is to innovate new products into the market, and to successfully sell them,” says Larsen.
And with a wide-open mandate with that, the sky’s the limit for this entrepreneur, who has a background in business and has been involved with financial publishing and marketing, along with previous experience in the food industry.
“The beauty of having a wide-open mandate is that we’re open to many different opportunities,” says Larsen. “We’re hoping to continue to develop the Crunch brand, develop a strong name, and grow based on our success.
“In the end, we hope to employ some people and have a product (or a few, for that matter) that people really want to purchase.
“Of course, the first priority is to develop a really great flax product across North America. We’re well on our way, but we don’t want to take on too much, too fast.”
But that doesn’t mean Steep Hill Solutions hasn’t dabbled in other products. In fact, just recently it launched a new brand called Out of Hand Foods, which packages and sells frozen Nova Scotia-grown kiwis.
The product is about the size of a strawberry, it grows on a vine, and it’s often called an ‘arctic kiwi’. And they’re home-grown right here in Nova Scotia.
“I think anyone who hasn’t tried an arctic kiwi yet, should,” he adds.
And it’s an easy task, now that Steep Hill Solutions has aided in launching the brand, available in a grocer’s freezer near you!
Larsen also recently made changes to his Omega Crunch Flax product line: he implemented a new flavour fit for the supper table. Steep Hill Solutions partnered with Acadia University’s nutrition department to develop a new roasted garlic flavour of Omega Crunch. So it was a win-win situation for all: valuable help for Larsen and his partners, and a valuable learning experience for the nutrition students.
“It was fun to partner up with local farmers and the University to launch new products – a really great learning experience,” says Larsen.
He’s partnered with local farmers and university students, but his work takes him far outside our province’s borders.
“I think the interesting thing about Steep Hill Solutions is that we operate out of Nova Scotia, but we market and sell our product across Canada,” says the Flax Man. “It goes to show that if you’re innovative enough, and determined, you can succeed in national – and even international – markets from right here in Nova Scotia.
“Perhaps you have to work a little harder to break the boundaries, but it can certainly be done. Steep Hill Solutions and Omega Crunch Flax are proof of that.”
Larsen points out that many brands have operated in areas that don’t fit the stereotypical ideal location. “Consider Hershey’s brand, which operates in Pennsylvania or Coca-Cola in Georgia. They’re not ideal locations per se, but the products seem to be innovative, and the marketing mix is aggressive, so the products sell all around the world.
“I’m hoping for the same success for Omega Crunch Flax operating right here, out of Nova Scotia.”
And with ambitions likened to market-giant brands such as Hersey’s and Coca-Cola, it’s a good thing that Brent Larsen and his company, Steep Hill Solutions, are supported by a great local business community.
“I feel lucky to be able to operate here in Nova Scotia, in my wife’s hometown, the perfect place to raise a family, and a great platform for a successful global business.”
