Third time charmed Julie Smolyansky and Lifeway make the FSB 100 list again this year.  (FORTUNE Small Business Magazine) -- At the age of 31, Julie Smolyansky feels like a corporate veteran. In 2002 she took over as the CEO of Lifeway Foods (lifeway.net) after her father died, and she graced our cover two years later when her company debuted at No. 38 on the FSB 100. "I'm old," she jokes. "There's nothing unique about me anymore." Nothing except her love of the band Pearl Jam, her tendency to get carded when buying beer, and her impressive leadership at Lifeway (Charts), one of 20 companies to appear on the list three or more years running. (This year it's No. 94.)
Since 2003, Smolyansky's company, maker of a yogurt-like beverage called kefir, has grown revenues 35%, breaking the $20 million mark in 2005. Its growth has slowed somewhat but Smolyansky is positioning the company to make some bold steps. In June, Lifeway launched ProBugs, a line of kefir drinks for kids featuring flavors such as Orange Creamy Crawler, organic ingredients, and spillproof spouts. Also, the company's new headquarters in Morton Grove, III., more than doubles Lifeway's manufacturing space to 175,000 square feet. But no matter how large Lifeway grows, to Smolyansky it's still the family business. "Everyone here is family," she says. "This is truly a passion." Next FSB 100 company: No. 77 K-tron ______________________________ Related: America's Fastest-Growing Small Public Companies: See the Full List To write a note to the editor about this article, click here. |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
