Cody Inskip is finding sweet success with his popcorn company, Skippy’s Kettlekorn.

Inskip who graduated from TRU in 2012, cites the Small Business Management course as being one of the most valuable in his business program. He relies daily on many of the tools learned in the classroom, including forecasting, finance and cash flow.

Consumer Behaviour was another important course, says Inskip. “I learned about how customers shop and what they’re thinking while they’re shopping.” He makes smarter business decisions because of his exceptional understanding of consumer preferences.

Inskip had been experimenting with popcorn recipes since 2011 with business partner and long-time friend Jon Peters. But it wasn’t until 2013 that the pair were ready to “quit their day jobs” and commit to popcorn as a viable venture.

Business grad Cody Inskip on the popcorn production line.

Skippy’s started locally, their first customer was All Aboard Games. Before the days of Skippy’s Kettlekorn being in supermarkets and gas stations, their biggest challenge was finding startup money. He says they had minimal cash flow to grow the business at first and had to go with credit cards for initial funds.

They now have their hand-seasoned, hand-bagged products in more than 250 retail locations across the province, from small independent corner stores to Canadian Tire and Save-On. Skippy’s Kettlekorn employs four full-time staff members and has a fleet of three delivery trucks.

A popping success.

When asked what he likes most about business, Inskip enjoys the daily variety. “Summer is popcorn season and there isn’t much downtime between deliveries, purchasing, sales and product development.”

What’s next? He plans to expand into the Alberta market and add a distribution chain into their business model. Inskip and Peters want to see Skippy’s Kettlekorn as a house-hold brand and so far they’ve had great reviews on the Skippy’s Kettlekorn Facebook page.