ARPA tour stops at Sugar Bob’s in Chester

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2023 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Rob Hausslein had his mini evaporator – a demonstrator model fired by propane – steaming when his guests arrived at the former Baba A Louis Bakery that has become home to Sugar Bob’s – Hausslein’s rapidly expanding food company. The sap was boiling as Hausslein explained how he was growing his “value added” maple business to a delegation of state and local officials who were on a Windsor County ARPA tour on Monday morning. ARPA refers to federal Covid recovery legislation – the American Rescue Plan Act.

The group, which included Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lindsay Kurrle and Agency of Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts, listened as Hausslein explained how his company had reached a turning point when the building it was using in Rutland had to be closed down and he had to scramble to find new quarters.

Hausslein’s company produces maple syrup (regular and smoked), maple sriracha sauces, maple nuts, maple sugar and barbeque sauce, with the motto of  “connecting people with the woods, their food and each other.”  And while the sriracha and barbeque sauces are produced through a co-packer in Barre, he needed a place for packaging maple and roasting nuts. Hausslein said the former bakery “was something we would need in five years, but we’re going to be that company now. It’s a big scale moment for us.”

Inside the cathedral-like bakery on Route 11 West, Hausslein displayed his product line and explained his business plans including a opening “museum store quality” retail shop that would sell Vermont food products by the beginning of July and a cafe by fall. He also pointed to Chester’s history of food production including the Green Mountain Gringo and Drew’s All Natural brands. Green Mountain Gringo was moved to Winston-Salem, N.C., and Drew’s All Natural continues to be made in Chester by Schlotterbeck and Foss.

While Hausslein has not received ARPA funds directly, Kurrle said that infrastructure funding for projects like water and sewer can help communities welcome new businesses like his. Hausslein said that food production can stress sewage treatment plants but that he and the town discussed what Hausslein would be producing in the old bakery and determined Sugar Bob’s effect was minimal.

Tebbetts said that ARPA funds could help finance pre-treatment measures to reduce those effects and both of the secretaries suggested Hausslein look into any assistance available from ARPA that his company qualifies for. Doug Farnham, deputy secretary of the Agency of Administration, said that he should look into that soon since funds need to be obligated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.