A recent $1.3 million award from the U.S. Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Fund will allow Montana CDC to offer financing to additional small businesses across Montana like Gluten Free Mama.
Rachel Carlyle-Edington struggled to find gluten-free alternatives to standard recipes after her youngest daughter was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. Instead of settling for what was available, she developed her own flour and a cookbook, which became the foundation for her business.
Gluten Free Mama quickly found a foothold in Montana, Idaho, and Washington, and demand for the products continued to grow. Rachel came to Montana CDC to finance the expansion of her operation. She also worked closely with the Montana CDC consulting team to ensure that operations and management kept up with the growth of the company.
Today, Gluten Free Mama produces, packages, and distributes nine different flours and mixes to stores across the U.S. from Rachel’s base in Polson, Montana. Her customers include national grocery chains and independent retailers.
Rachel’s success with Gluten Free Mama earned her the Small Business Person of the Year award in Montana for 2013.
The additional $1.3 million in the Montana CDC loan fund provides enough capital to finance 10-12 more small businesses like Gluten Free Mama.
