We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandon Bahr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Brandon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
In 2016, Brandon Bahr found himself caught up in the hemp industry’s turmoil. While trying to build his direct-to-consumer hemp brand, he encountered many unreliable manufacturers with products contaminated with heavy metals and residual solvents, as well as consistency between potency levels of extracted hemp extracts and their potency level needing to be more consistent over time. Brandon felt frustrated but determined to bring about change as the supply chain collapsed beneath him.
However, despite these challenges, Brandon has always been an invaluable asset within the hemp industry. Farmers selling biomass or process/extraction labs regularly sought his expertise and knowledge to find materials needed for oil extract production. Brandon took great pride in making a positive difference and helping manufacturers produce safe medicines.
In late 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic’s debut, Brandon took a risk and began brokering ethanol for processing labs, not realizing its fortuitous timing. Demand for hand sanitizer and disinfectant manufacturing skyrocketed, prompting his business venture to become a go-to source. Chaos reigned, yet in it all, they learned invaluable lessons.
However, when demand inevitably declined, Brandon and his team recognized it was time to assess everything they had accomplished. After reviewing their supply chain and knowledge base accumulated over time, they turned back towards hemp and cannabis – an industry they were passionate about and had long been part of – as the focus for their endeavors, on embarking on their transformational journey of expanding supply chain operations while building a brand centered on botanical extraction. Simple Solvents emerged–an organization dedicated to providing high-quality education and solvents to botanical extraction industries as they continued evolving their supply chains, expanding supply chains further, and creating brand identities for botanical extraction markets.
Brandon and his team at Simple Solvents embarked on an ambitious journey to transform the industry with unfailing dedication and passion; they aim to empower manufacturers with safe and effective medicines that would improve lives worldwide. Understanding the significance of education as the key to attaining their goals, they provided access to the knowledge needed by manufacturers so that their plans could be realized successfully.
Simple Solvents thrived daily, forging partnerships and creating innovative solutions to address industry issues that had long plagued it. Brandon’s unwavering commitment to excellence and his desire to make a difference propelled them forward; their journey from navigating hemp industry chaos to building an innovative company revolutionizing botanical extraction was an inspiring testament to perseverance and passion.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Passion is the cornerstone of change, and for Brandon Bahr, it ignited a profound faith in the healing power of hemp and cannabis plants. After witnessing its transformative effects personally and among those close to him, Brandon embarked on an endeavor to revolutionize this industry by streamlining supply chains – offering companies help procure essential chemicals vital for operations.
Brandon is the pioneering mind behind an innovative enterprise to shake up extraction practices within the hemp and cannabis industries. His company specializes in distributing premium food-grade and pharmaceutical-grade ethanol derived from corn. This remarkable product is a powerful solvent, aiding extraction from various plants (cannabis and mushrooms). Furthermore, they also offer other solvents like isopropyl alcohol that allow customers to clean and disinfect laboratories more easily.
Brandon’s enterprise stands out due to its intricate knowledge of both cannabis and extraction processes and the tax landscape imposed by TTB, saving its customers millions annually in tax. Their commitment to customer satisfaction goes far beyond financial rewards – it stems from their passion for producing safe medicine used by millions.
Brandon has made safety the focus of its products and its transformative effect on medicine production with its tireless efforts that have already had a nationwide immediate impact. Brandon hopes that by empowering companies to produce safe medicine, he will lead an international movement that positively impacts numerous lives worldwide.
Brandon Bahr has become a trailblazer within the hemp and cannabis industries through his dedication and steadfast commitment. His knowledge of extraction processes, regulatory landscape, and visionary approach has cemented him as one of the industry’s premier figures. Brandon continues to pave new pathways and spur transformative change – impacting lives beyond hemp and cannabis as he changes lives worldwide.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Brandon had long been known for being a reliable resource and passionate advocate within the complex supply chain environment. From connecting farmers with buyers or providing extraction labs with materials needed, his commitment to this industry ran deep.
However, Brandon ran into some hurdles on his journey. As he attempted to create his direct-to-consumer hemp brand, he encountered an unpredictable landscape where reliable manufacturers seemed like an impossible fantasy, and contamination ran rampant throughout his supply chain. Brandon decided that something needed to happen quickly to combat these problems and ensure safety for the industry.
At the very outset of COVID-19’s arrival, Brandon decided to take a daring leap and enter the brokerage field by procuring ethanol for processing labs. Little did he realize how this decision would shape his destiny and ignite something profound within himself. As the pandemic spread worldwide, demand for ethanol rose dramatically, especially among manufacturers of hand sanitizers and disinfectant production facilities.
As soon as the bubble of demand burst, Brandon found himself at an impasse. Through self-examination and reflection, he realized his true calling was in hemp and cannabis; with all the knowledge gained over time, he decided to make a calculated shift.
Brandon & his co-founders established Simple Solvents as a brand in response to quality issues within the hemp and cannabis industries. The company lives by the mission of providing top-grade solvents and education services to pharmaceutical and botanical extraction industries. Brandon and his team embarked on an ambitious journey, hoping to revolutionize their field and empower manufacturers to produce safe and effective medicines.
Simple Solvents’ commitment to excellence and belief that everyone deserves access to reliable and trustworthy products set them apart from competitors. Brandon was passionate about helping create safe medicines. He wanted everyone to recognize that Simple Solvents wasn’t simply another business but were more like an unwavering beacon of hope, standing as a symbol of integrity for manufacturers seeking to have a lasting positive effect on countless lives.
Simple Solvents was long known for excellence, reliability, and unwavering dedication – something Brandon and Simple Solvents epitomize. Brandon stood firm with his team, ready to face any challenge that came their way, driven by their unrelenting drive to make an impactful contribution to pharmaceuticals and botanical extraction.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
After transitioning from brokerage to brand creation, they faced an uphill climb that seemed impossible – yet powered by a passion for creating safe medicines and guided by vision, they forged ahead – bootstrapping for one year exclusively off sales profits alone.
Operating as a drop shipper with low overhead costs allowed Brandon and his team to maximize resources, focus on providing exceptional products and services, and build their reputation within the industry.
Brandon quickly recognized the need to support further business expansion. To meet increasing customer demands and expand operations, they opted for creative financing options like raising a convertible note with sufficient capital to expand operations, invest in infrastructure upgrades, and solidify their market standing.
With newfound financial backing, Simple Solvents began an exciting phase of expansion. Leveraging their funds for inventory increased purchasing power and met customer demand more efficiently.
Simple Solvents has achieved significant growth over time and now operates out of not just one but three facilities – serving as hubs of innovation and production to meet customer demands across its expanding customer base. And with August 2023 fast approaching, Simple Solvents stands on the cusp of yet another milestone–the expansion of yet a fourth facility that showcases their unwavering dedication to excellence, adaptability, and resilience in a highly competitive market.
Brandon and his team’s journey from bootstrapping their business to finding creative financing has been truly extraordinary. Through resourcefulness combined with their passion for producing safe medicines, Simple Solvents has experienced rapid growth. They stand proudly with a trust-filled integrity-rich brand that embodies trust and promises longevity in the pharmaceutical and botanical extraction industries.
As Simple Solvents expands, Brandon and his team want potential clients and followers to recognize that they represent innovation, reliability, and commitment to providing high-quality products and services.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simplesolvents.com
- Instagram: @simplesolvents
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simplesolvents
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonbahr/