Havegärd Birdseed is a family-owned manufacturer of quality bird feeding products. The business was established in 1974 by Richard and Patty Sheehy. The innovative couple began looking for ways to differentiate themselves from competitors, and one of their experiments included cherry juice. They discovered wild birds preferred this newly developed mixture over traditional mixes.
THE BUSINESS
The Sheehy sons ran the business between 1995 and 2023, growing the brand while maintaining the Havegärd values. In September of 2023, Havegärd was privately purchased by James Sullivan, who is ensuring that the traditions and trade secrets passed down through generations live on. Through the changeover in ownership, Kevin Sheehy was kind enough to stay on long enough to train the new staff so they could gain their independence.
James said, “Customers let us know on a daily basis how much they love that we re-opened the store. We are in the midst of working on a large mural project with community leaders and a team of artists to paint the four silos on the Havegärd property. This mural will both help attract tourists and assist people in finding our store.”
Havegärd Birdseed recognizes the significance and growing portion of customers who are as concerned about quality as they are about price. James is dedicated to offering fresh, top-quality bird food. The no-waste bird seed blends are made from 100% edible seed and have been exclusively formulated for the feeding preferences of local birds. No cereal fillers are included in the seed blends.
The business also features exclusive flavors in other bird foods: suets, no-melt doughs, quality mixes and more. They have expanded too, adding a new finch mix and mealworms to the feed offerings. In the store, they offer birdhouses, feeders, souvenirs and more.
Accomplishments with UW-Green Bay SBDC
- Valuation
- Business planning
- Financial projections
THE COMMUNITY
James said, “Since Algoma was already known as ‘bird city,’ we connected with that community using social media and began educating people on the impact society can have on birds. For example, when the bluebird population took a massive hit due to habitat and invasive species, we explained how simple bluebird houses with 1.50-inch openings adorned with mealworms and sunflower chips could assist the suffering population.”
But as any entrepreneur knows, things are not always easy. “There’s a constant flux in orders. Making sure to have the appropriate supplies on hand to create mixes and be prepared for what consumers are going to need is a challenge. Sometimes it feels like I need telepathy to ensure that all customer needs will be met,” James said.
THE ASSISTANCE
The birdseed business also turned to the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for assistance. Dave Stauffacher, a consultant at the SBDC, said, “James reached out to the SBDC via his local banker recommendation, and we assisted him throughout the negotiating process from valuation, business planning, financial projections and source funding.”
James said Dave was very thorough, particularly in his financial assistance. “Dave required me to break down costs seed by seed and grain by grain. In the long run, this was fantastic for determining our product pricing and profit margins. It was good for us and good for our lender, Bank of Luxemburg.”
THE FUTURE
The future looks bright for this local small business in so many ways. The Havegärd Birdseed plant and outlet store are located in Algoma, and James is currently working to expand to a Sturgeon Bay location. James said, “I am hoping to expand to include working with a local market, providing specialty salmon to the community. Everyone, including our own staff, is looking forward to this!”
