New Product Development at Sterling Rice Group
One of the benefits of an MBA program in Boulder is the ability to visit local companies. As an optional field trip as part of Professor Jay Waddell’s New Product Development class, a group of Second Year MBAs visited the downtown office of Sterling Rice Group. Founded in 1984, SRG is headquartered in Boulder, has just under 150 mostly female employees, and is proudly woman-owned. Now retired from consulting, Professor Waddell has two decades of experience with SRG – experience that he incorporates into his teaching.
JC Longbottom talking to the group about the work they do at SRG.
Earlier this semester, JC Longbottom, a managing director and partner at SRG spoke in class to students from New Product Development; so this company visit came as a follow-up to the anecdotes shared then. Our group was welcomed by JC and by Jenna Fraser, an associate strategist. They showed us the different workspaces that SRG has to offer, including their industrial kitchen that has helped them with many projects in consumer packaged goods and food products.
The office has beautiful views of downtown Boulder.
Part of the company visit was dedicated to discussing past projects at SRG and being in the office really brought the stories to life. SRG has a long history of success in the food industry with clients like Jack In the Box, Cinnabon, and Starbucks. For students interested in consulting and especially those interested in consulting for food brands, JC and Jenna shared valuable insights about the creative process in the space.