Ep 42 "Making Mustard Modern: A Young Leaders Vision For A Century Old Family Business

In this episode of Locally Owned, Dave interviews Luke Desmond, vice president of Weber’s Mustard, a fourth-generation Western New York family business. Luke describes growing up working on the production line as a kid, learning every step of making and shipping products, and later pursuing a biology degree and urgent care work during COVID where he documented over 15,000 patients and faced days of up to 300 patients per shift. After being accepted to PA school, he chose instead to join Weber’s, influenced by student debt concerns, the company’s legacy, and the possibility it would be sold. Luke shares family stories about early grassroots marketing, the company’s near-collapse after the founder’s stroke, and his parents’ revival beginning in 1997. He explains how he modernized Weber’s through a rebuilt e-commerce website, social media expansion, collaborations like a New York Chips flavor, sampling and promotion strategies to grow beyond Buffalo, and considerations for a careful rebrand while preserving the iconic identity.The 5 Mindset Shifts Guide to Building A Business That Runs Without You00:00 Luke Desmond01:17 Growing Up at Weber's10:28 Family, Loss, and Revitalizing the Company14:29 Choosing Between Medicine and the Family Business21:31 Taking the Leap into Weber's29:04 Modernizing Weber's: Website and Social Media35:27 Expanding Beyond Buffalo39:25 Rebranding and the Future of Weber's56:30 Lessons in Trust and Leadership01:01:20 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Weber'sOrder Weber Products