Locally Grown Messages Go National
During his formative years in northwest Iowa, Fred Scott (MBA, 2000) admits he didn't know what he wanted to be when he grew
up, but always considered himself a creative spirit. After graduating from the University of Iowa in 1994 with a BA in communications,
Scott moved to Vail, Colorado--a place he'd visited regularly on family vacations growing up--and got a job working for a
property manager. "I tried to figure out when my career would begin. I believed that I would find something I was passionate
about one day and that I would do it well," says Scott. An MBA, he decided, would help him get there.
In 1999, Scott enrolled in the Summit County-based Mountain EMBA program, but quickly decided he wanted a full Daniels experience. He quit his job, moved to Denver and completed his MBA in 2000. Scott worked briefly at Requisite Technology and then the Buyer's Page (now Centerstone Technology), an early e-commerce company that serviced the outdoor sports industry. "All day, I would talk to people who had started apparel companies and I became really enamored by these entrepreneurial personalities," says Scott. "I love brands. I love the stories behind brands. I was beginning to realize this was something I wanted to do some day."
In 2002, Scott moved to Des Moines, Iowa, and in the wake of the dot-com bubble bursting, he struggled to find his place in corporate America. He fell into the sales profession, which he admits was great experience, but not a lifelong career. In 2004, Scott came up with the idea of "Cornfed" T-shirts. "I'm a proud Iowan, and that phrase around here has a really good connotation," says Scott. Soon, he became a licensee for the University of Iowa and Iowa State University and sold his "Cornfed Hawkeye" and "Cornfed Cyclone" T-shirts in sporting goods stores.
Eventually, Scott wanted to create a brand that he could expand into other states, too--one that would resonate with people all over the country. In 2006, he became engaged in the local food movement and started selling "Locally Grown" and "Locavore" T-shirts at farmers' markets. He raised private capital and wrote a multifaceted business plan to deliver his Locally Grown apparel through retail, wholesale and franchise channels. And in December 2009, after recruiting an old friend and former account executive for Polo Ralph Lauren, Kelsey Byus, as his partner, Scott officially launched Locally Grown Clothing Company. "It was the perfect blend of my passions and talents, and it was also the first time I was truly able to put my Daniels education to use toward something I believe in," says Scott.
Locally Grown clothing is sold online, at farmers' markets and in health and outdoor stores around the country. The concept is apparel-driven, but above all, Locally Grown strives to support the movement toward organic products and local and sustainable agriculture. In addition, the company is actively recruiting "locals"--franchisees who are inspired to promote the local food movement by selling Locally Grown apparel in their own areas. Their first local, in fact, is in Denver.
Although it took him 10 years to discover his passion, Scott says that the seeds were planted at Daniels. "Daniels gave me the confidence to become an entrepreneur. The curriculum and the supportive environment made me always believe that it was possible," says Scott. As he strives to simultaneously grow his business and spread the message about local food, Scott employs a Daniels-like philosophy: "Business can inspire others and create awareness."
