036: Squeezing the Juice from Your Company with Gordon Crane

By Aline Wealth Management on August 31, 2022

The growth of a business is rarely a straight line. There are roadblocks that come along the way. Gordon Crane started his company out of his parent’s apartment in Queens. From these humble beginnings, he was able to create a successful brand.

Gordon Crane is an entrepreneur and pioneer in the “better-for-you” fruit juice industry. In 1975, he founded Apple & Eve, a brand of premium, all-natural fruit juices and fruit products that he grew into the largest privately held juice company in the United States with sales in excess of $225 million.

Over the last 40+ years, Crane has been responsible for some of the fruit juice industry’s most significant product innovations such as the first unfiltered, natural-style apple juice for supermarkets in 1975, and the first juice box introduced into the US in 1982. Along the way, Crane acquired the Northland and Switch brands to expand the Apple & Eve portfolio. In 2014, Lassonde Inc, a leading Canadian juice company acquired Apple & Eve. Crane played an active role in the new organization for five years, serving as Chief Growth & Innovation Officer.

Today, Gordon joins the show to share the entrepreneurial spirit and drive that it took to start and grow his company. He dives into his experiences with takeovers, private equity, and the eventual sale of the business.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Hear about the early years of Gordon’s company and working with family while trying to build a brand.
• Learn Gordon’s views on leadership and culture. What advice does he have for listeners looking to find their footing?
• Apple & Eve took over two large companies. How did these takeovers increase growth? How difficult was it to incorporate these companies into the existing company culture and portfolio?
• Gordon chose to sell after a long 40+ years in the business. He dives into how the exit process developed and some lessons learned along the way.

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