2009 Dynamic Dozen, No. 4: MaMa Jean's Natural Market

A small Ozarks town wasn't a dream place for a 15-year-old Chicago teenager whose parents moved to Ava to take advantage of land prices.

But Susie Farbin has moved past her first impressions and has chosen to join the region's small-business community.

"It was a huge culture shock. I didn't like it at first," said Susie Farbin, who with Diana Hicks co-owns MaMa Jean's Natural Market.

As her parents built a passive solar house and got into organic gardening, Farbin visited Chicago to escape her new home. But she eventually got involved with her mother's natural foods store, Jean's Healthway, in the Ozark County town of Ava.

After 14 years there, Farbin, Hicks and a third partner - who has since left - opened MaMa Jean's on South Campbell Avenue in December 2002. By 2008, MaMa Jean's gross revenues were $5.4 million, and a second Springfield location had opened its doors.

"I really had no doubt we'd have success, but not like this," said Hicks, who retired in January after 30 years at O'Reilly Automotive Inc.

The idea to open a store in Springfield germinated for about a year and a half, largely due to the reputation of Jean's Healthway, which drew customers from the Queen City. Requests for a local store increased.

"After hearing that for several years, we thought maybe we should do that," Farbin said. "It gave me the confidence (that) if we can do this in Ava, we can do this where there's (more) people."

MaMa Jean's first Springfield store, 1727 S. Campbell Ave., is nearly 7,000 square feet, a bump from the 4,000 square feet Farbin was used to in Ava.

"My mom would come up and say, 'How are you going to fill this space?'" Farbin said.

"It didn't take any time whatsoever."

MaMa Jean's, which is a separate business from Jean's Healthway, is named in honor of Farbin's mother, Jean; Hicks' mother, whom she always called "mama"; and Farbin's niece, who called her grandmother "Mama Jean."

Farbin credits MaMa Jean's success to filling a need, customer service and pricing, which is below suggested retail. Breaking the assumption that a health food store is more expensive has been tough.

"My mom's philosophy is you have to price so it's affordable for the consumer, because it doesn't do any good sitting on the shelf. I don't want to dust it," Farbin said.

Customers don't have to spend more if they're buying higher-quality, natural food, especially in bulk, she said.

"You can buy fuel at MaMa Jean's, not just filler," Farbin added.

When the time came to add a second Springfield store, the co-owners also liked the idea of having a store in Green Circle, Matt O'Reilly's shopping center at 1110 E. Republic Road that utilizes green building practices.

At 8,400 square feet, Springfield's second MaMa Jean's has about 80 percent of the same inventory as the original store, Farbin said. Unique features include an extended personal-care section, a smoothie-juice-coffee bar, a larger deli and more produce and freezer space.

After starting with a handful of employees, MaMa Jean's now employs 61. Happy employees translate into satisfied customers whose word-of-mouth advertising has fueled MaMa Jean's, Hicks said, adding that empowered employees take ownership.

"Give them loose reins and don't pull them back unless they start going too far," she said.

Plans for 2009 include integrating the new store and improving processes as well as sprucing up the original MaMa Jean's. There has been talk about a third location and even franchising, but only "through clenched teeth," Hicks said.

For Farbin, MaMa Jean's growth is an illustration of how she's been able to combine personal pursuits and profit.

"I love the work. It's just a passion ... and you go to bed knowing you're providing something really good, because we get so many stories about how people have changed their lives and feel better," she said.