A local firm has been named the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Manufacturer of the Year for New Hampshire.

Clean Simple Foods, Inc., of Peterborough, producer of Shire’s Naturals, was the brainchild of Joshua D. Velasquez and Adam Hamilton, who founded New England’s first 100% plant-based cheese company. The SBA is recognizing the firm “based on its solid foundation and continuous growth in this industry.”

Clean Simple Foods began in Velasquez’s basement in Harrisville in 2013, where Hamilton and he sought to create a dairy-free alternative to “oils, thickeners and gums,” said Velasquez, who was only seeing such products on the market. The challenge was “How do you ferment a plant-based cheese?” recalled Hamilton, adding that “The medium we chose was cashews.”

Four years of research and development and many late nights later, Nuttin Ordinary was born. Last year the firm rebranded its products as Shire’s Naturals, continuing to produce dairy-free options ranging from garden veggie cream cheese to spinach and cheese ravioli. Along with 36% of the population, Velasquez is lactose-intolerant, and among the accomplishments that the SBA lauded the firm for was “turning a personal need into a larger mission: to re-imagine everyday staples with clean, plant-based ingredients that everyone can enjoy.”

In the course of the rebranding process, Velasquez was looking for a way to tell his New Hampshire story, and one day it came to him.

“People elsewhere say ‘How are things in the ‘shire?’ So I said “What about Shire’s?” he said. His team unanimously loved it.

The entrepreneurs work out of an 8,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Peterborough, with cases of products in a climate-controlled area ready to hit the shelves in stores.

“When you think of manufacturing, you don’t normally think of food products,” said Amy Bassett, district director of the SBA for New Hampshire. “They’ve been very wise in seeking out mentors and others to help them develop and grow.”

Bassett noted that Velasquez and Hamilton have reached out to resources ranging from SBA-backed funding provided through Mascoma Bank and the Monadnock Economic Development Corporation to the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA), the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship and local investors. Although he is not an investor, Gary Hirshberg of Stonyfield Farm, now Stonyfield Organic, has also been a resource.

Bassett said that nominations for the award come from many sources, including banks, credit unions, SCORE and the Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship, adding that “It’s a very competitive nomination process.”

Sara Powell was in attendance at the award presentation, and spoke personally to the importance of the Shire’s Naturals line.

“When I was breastfeeding, I had to go dairy-free, but also had to eat without triggering my daughter’s allergy,” she said, thankful that Shire’s Naturals were available.

At the Peterborough facility, hair nets, shoe coverings and coveralls are the norm for staff involved in the production process.

“We have very, very high standards health-wise,” said Velasquez. “Think of people – babies, older citizens. It’s a matter of trust between us and others.”

The firm has extended this trust to its staff, with employees who are on the autism spectrum. The Hannah Grimes Center, which nominated Clean Simple Foods for the award, noted the company’s “neurodivergent superpowers.”

The cashews that go into Shire’s Naturals are mostly from Vietnam, with perhaps a blend from South Africa occasionally, as well. Clean Simple Foods entered into a contract for them in 2019 which allowed the firm to lock in a price that still holds, so tariff scares haven’t figured into the equation thus far.

In another stroke of foresight, the firm got Whole Foods to carry its line prior to the retailer’s acquisition by Amazon.

“Whole Foods just seemed a natural pairing for our natural product,” said Velasquez, adding that the most powerful-marketing tool is word of mouth.

From April through December of last year, Shire’s Naturals’ sales were up 96%. The SBA announcement states Clean Simple Foods’ products are a “thriving brand in over 300 retail locations across the Northeast, including Market Basket, Whole Foods, and GIANT.”

For all their success, Velasquez and Hamilton maintain a sense of place.

“One of the characteristics of Josh and Adam that certainly contributes to their success is how community-minded they are,” stated Julianna Dodson, executive director of Hannah Grimes Center. “Many times, we’ve asked them to jump in as an emcee or judge for one of our pitch events, and they’ve shown up. For their innovative and impressive business, their investment in the community, and their delicious food, we were thrilled to nominate them and are so proud that they won.”

The design of their logo also reflected community; it is a drawing of Peterborough’s spires and rooftops by local artist Deb Caplin of Linescapes.

Discussing the firm’s rebranding, Velasquez noted a point about making changes.

“Ninety-nine percent of people are OK with 1% of change, but only 1% of people are fine with a 99% change,” he said.

Looking ahead, the firm would like to grow the distribution of its dairy-free ravioli line and develop new plant-based products.

Asked about when he learned that they had been awarded this laurel from the SBA, Velasquez said his first reaction was surprise.

“Really? Us? We got this?” he said.

The SBA’s Bassett wasn’t surprised.

“You have to be very, very committed to have come as far as they have, ” she said, adding that “It’s a classic entrepreneurial story.”

Clean Simple Foods and other New Hampshire award winners will be honored at the SBA’s 2025 Small Business Week celebration May 12 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Millyard Museum in Manchester.