Blazy Susan has been rising in popularity, thanks to creative marketing efforts and a commitment to its customers. Now, the company is planning a major investment in domestic manufacturing.
Blazy Susan is planning a groundbreaking expansion that will allow the company to manufacture its rolling papers and pre-rolls in the United States.
“We have finally been able to develop and source the technology that is economically feasible,” Blazy Susan CEO Will Breakell says. “People have tried over the years, but it’s easier said than done.”
Most rolling paper companies currently manufacture their cones and pre-rolls overseas. And in India, Breakell says, a surprisingly high percentage of pre-rolls are made by hand. With an estimated 5 billion pre-rolls distributed by Blazy Susan annually, that means there are tens of thousands of people rolling cones for the company. In the early days of the company, cones accounted for about 30% of its business. Today, it’s almost 60%.
Breakell says the new technology will produce about 200 cones per minute and about 75 million pounds per year. The equipment has been a work in progress for about two years now, but Breakell says the first machine should arrive in Colorado by November, though no timetable has been set for the factory to be operational.
“We are using our company as a guinea pig,” he says. “Blazy Susan is going to be the producer and the buyer. The goal is that we’ll be able to build a company that can actually supply the majority of the U.S. demand. It’s a lofty goal. Building a factory isn’t easy, and we’re taking a risk, but we’re always taking the next leap to try to improve, to reach that next level.”
Breakell says part of what has kept Blazy Susan at the forefront of a highly competitive category is having a creative team that has been able to infuse a certain amount of fun into the brand’s marketing, product development and partnerships.
“I think that’s our secret sauce,” he says.
Blazy Susan was started in 2017 with just a single accessory — a rolling tray that is the cannabis version of a Lazy Susan. As things developed, Breakell left his day job to focus full-time on Blazy Susan, but realized the company needed more than rolling trays to stay afloat. The company expanded quickly to rolling papers and hundreds of other accessories, always listening to its customers about what they wanted.
“We’re not producing a one-hit wonder product,” Breakell says. “We’re constantly elevating and pushing the limits.”
Among the other ways Blazy Susan has pushed the limits is through collaborations with mainstream companies like Jimmy John’s. Blazy Susan helped provide steering wheel trays to Jimmy John’s customers as a way to promote the sandwich brand’s new lineup of toasted subs.
“We’re starting to work with these larger food brands that see the value of cannabis consumers,” Breakell says.
The company is also gearing up for its annual October donation drive to benefit cancer research and related nonprofits — a cause that is near to Breakell’s heart because his mother is a breast cancer survivor. Blazy Susan donates a percentage of profits from online sales for the month of October, as well as participating in give-backs through several “impact partners” in cannabis.
“We were able to do something like last year in Arizona,” Breakell says. “We sold approximately 10,000 pre-rolls with Mint. We were able to collectively write a $10,000 check for The Joy Bus, which is like a Meals on Wheels program that feeds cancer patients in the Arizona market.”
The goal this year is to be able to donate $25,000 to $30,000 through its partnerships in October.
“Our goal is to continue to donate more each year through collaborations with other partners and by building with people in the community,” Breakell says. “We’re not just trying to license our brand to sell cannabis. We ideally want to give back, and our products that have supported breast cancer awareness resonated with people.”