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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 6 • I NSIGH T | 29 company brings to the table is its expertise. "What really sets us apart is the technical knowledge we can share when it comes to their demands and needs," Sass says. "It's really about information sharing and partnering with our customers." is is particularly important for clients who use mustard from Wisconsin Spice for the functional properties that have nothing to do with the flavor or heat the ingredient is best known for. Using its laboratories and knowledge, Wisconsin Spice can provide the technical details for food producers who are using the properties of mustard to complement and improve their products. e effort is not confined to the lab, though. Sass and the sales team regularly conduct "Mustard 101" presentations to clients and prospects to demonstrate the flexibility of the ingredient in food production. e team will be making a similar presentation at the Association for Dressing and Sauces technical meeting in early May. Wisconsin Spice also conducts "Mustard University" — a six-week course on the science of mustard — for all of its supervisors. ey even provide a regular mustard report to customers and prospects detailing expected crop yields and pricing. "We are working to be a technical leader in the market," Sass says. "We want our customers to feel like they can't live without us because of the information and technical expertise we share with them. We show them how they can use mustard or use it better." It is that expertise, and willingness to share it, that has driven the company's recent growth, he says. "We may not always be the low-cost provider, but we will be an expert in fulfillment," Sass says. "at's what I want to be known for." Volatile harvest A n emphasis on customer fulfillment and technical expertise could be differentiating factors as the company executes its plans for 2016. Early reports indicate there will be fewer acres of mustard seed planted this year, sending prices higher and industry suppliers scrambling for inventory. Yields in 2015 were also lower than expectation. is is where Sass follows a recipe he learned from his father. Wisconsin Spice uses several techniques to ensure it can meet customer demand, leveraging its years of knowledge and contacts both with growers and within the commodities industry. In more than 40 years of operation, the company has always been able to avoid shortfalls. "One of the things my dad always said was 'e customer needs to know you can take care of them,'" Sass says. on the sales and marketing side," she says. "I prefer working in a more behind-the-scenes role helping us to get more efficient. It works out well." Not the mustard? F or all the mustard produced by Wisconsin Spice each day, Sass says that may not be the most important thing the company sells. e most important commodity the The making of mustard Most people probably associate mustard with the bright yellow condiment used on hotdogs, brats and other delights. Or, perhaps, something fancy and French? It's come a long way since the first recorded experiments by the Romans in fifth century B.C., in which they mixed unfermented grape juice, known as "must," with ground mustard seeds to make "burning must," mustum ardens — shortened to "must ard". Mustard has become a multi-dimensional ingredient in food production, and Wisconsin Spice has developed the versatility to supply them all. First, there are the dry mustard ingredients, which include whole ground mustard, de-heated ground mustard, mustard flour, mustard bran and mustard seed. These are used as ingredients in other products, particularly for their viscosity, water-binding and thickening properties. In addition, Wisconsin Spice produces a wide range of prepared mustards. These look and sound a bit more familiar, and many can be used both as ingredients, or can be packed as condiments. These include yellow salad-style mustards, white salad mustard, mustard pastes, Dijon mustards, honey mustards, stone ground mustards and a wide selection of specialty mustards such as jalapeño or Cajun. Those prepared mustards can then be packaged and branded for food service and restaurant use, from the packets that can be found at quick-service restaurants to multi-gallon jugs used for refills and dispensers. Of course, don't forget Uncle Phil's, the retail brand named after company founder Phil Sass. While a very small part of the company's overall portfolio, it can be found in grocery stores and comes in varieties that include traditional yellow and English hot. Mustard truly is the spice of variety.