Think pancakes? Think again: Precision Syrups expands Michigan’s taste for craft flavor

Editor’s Note: This story is part of Momentum: The people and companies shaping what’s next, a weekly series that explores new ventures, founder support, and the resources powering entrepreneurship and small businesses across seven counties in Southwest Michigan. This project is sponsored by Southwest Michigan First.

Mention syrup, and pancakes and waffles come to mind.  However, there are special syrups for many other uses: in cocktails and mocktails (nonalcoholic), salad dressings, baked items, meat glazes, or drizzled on ice cream or put in lemonade as a sweetener. One manufacturer of these unique syrups is based in the southwest corner of Michigan, and it’s a growing business.

Precision Syrups, based in St. Joseph, sold roughly 2,300 bottles (8.4 ounces each) in 2023 when they opened. Last year, they produced about 7,300 bottles.

Tiffany and Ben Wood founded Precision Syrups in November 2022 with the kitchen of their St. Joseph home as their manufacturing facility. They began selling their first flavor of syrup in January 2023 after meeting Michigan requirements for operating a cottage business.

“We operated as a cottage business that first year,” says Tiffany Wood, “and we transitioned to a commercial business where we started manufacturing out of a commercial kitchen in Sawyer in November 2023.”  Sawyer is a small town on the Lake Michigan shore about 18 miles south of St. Joseph.

Ben Wood is an obstetrics/gynecology physician, and Tiffany worked in sales and was an elementary school teacher after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan State University. The couple has two daughters aged 16 and 13. 

So how did they get into the syrups business?  The idea was born during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My husband and I had always been into cooking and cooking by scratch. We really enjoyed cocktails with our friends, and we had a lot of extra time to be at home, so we were playing with tonics and liqueurs,” says Tiffany Wood.  They created a liqueur that friends loved, and the Woods were urged to do something commercial with it.  The couple followed up on the suggestion but were discouraged by the hurdles of getting into the distilling business.

“But if we got into syrups, we could do that in a way that we felt really good about, and we could participate in not only the spirits world but also the nonalcoholic world,” Tiffany says.  “And it could be a really great ingredient for those who are interested in culinary creations.”

In Sawyer, Precision Syrups shares a building with a tasting room called Local Pour, 12857 Red Arrow Hwy. Local Pour offers customers tastes of many Michigan-made wines, beers, and ciders, plus craft cocktails.

“Local Pour was extremely interested in our product, and they had a kitchen that was a great spot for us to be able to produce and at a really great rate,” Tiffany says.  “They’ve been a fantastic business partner.  With that relationship, we’ve been able to meet a lot of distillers around the state and partner with them as well.” 

In addition to Tiffany and Ben, Precision Syrups has four employees and adds a couple more during the summer when the firm is busier. 

They now sell six flavors and plan to add another later this year. The six are MI Blueberry Spice, Cranberry Santé, Hibiscus Mango Ginger, Smoldering Mango, Strawberry Ginger Lime, and Raspberry Crescendo.  Sales have been concentrated in Southwest Michigan and Grand Rapids, plus some in Chicago and northern Indiana. Online sales are increasing, especially to wholesalers. Tiffany plans to participate in a trade show in Brooklyn, New York, in June.

Precision Syrups can be bought in Kalamazoo at Tiffany’s Wine & Spirits and in Paw Paw at GG Sweets & Eats.

Tiffany describes her company’s manufacturing process: “We use natural ingredients, freeze-dried fruit infused with a variety of herbs, fruits, and spices. Our syrups do not contain concentrates, extracts, or preservatives. In some cases, we use dried flowers. We extract as much flavor as possible from the solids, then layer infusion ingredients like fresh zest from citrus, whole spices, freshly grated ginger, and dried Persian limes to create syrups that are incredibly versatile.”

She continues, “We’re not considered an inexpensive product, but we are a high-value product because of the ingredients that we use. What’s really great is because it’s such a concentrated syrup, you don’t have to use much. With most syrups that people buy, the smallest amount they would need to use would be half an ounce, but generally, they’re using an ounce, sometimes even two ounces, in their cocktails. But with our syrup, they typically use a quarter-ounce to half an ounce.”

As the Woods became entrepreneurs, they learned that a lot of help is available. Tiffany first contacted Cornerstone Alliance, which promotes business and community growth in Berrien County. 

“I felt pretty insecure about what I was doing, and they found a great way of helping me recognize that no, I should not feel insecure,” she says.  “They said I had a great product, I know a great way to sell it, and just keep on going with that, and I’ll be fine.” 

She then got guidance from SCORE, a national organization that mentors entrepreneurs; the Product Center at Michigan State University; and Southwest Michigan First, which promotes community and economic development in seven counties.

Tiffany participated in the Growth Series program in South Haven that was funded by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “That was a great opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of being successful, and also it was a really great opportunity to gain more working connections that I still find very valuable,” she says.

A big boost for Precision Syrups was a grant from a program that helps manufacturing businesses increase their capacity. It’s funded by Southwest Michigan First and administered by the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center. The Woods received about $1,700 to help buy a $3,500 applicator to put labels on syrup bottles.

Tiffany says, “For the first 18 months, we had been applying all of our labels by hand, and it was very tedious. I was doing almost all of it by myself; it was really long hours and usually done in the middle of the night.

Tiffany’s preparation for running a business and her application of what she learned paid off very well last March when she won the $10,000 first prize in the annual West Michigan WomanUp & Pitch competition sponsored by Michigan Women Forward. The scoring was based on 60 percent for a business plan and 40 percent on a contestant’s live presentation. Tiffany says she used the prize for marketing.

“What’s wonderful is everyone that I was speaking with was just so incredibly helpful. I think sometimes when people start a business, you wonder if people aren’t going to be helpful,” says Tiffany. “I haven’t found that to be the case at all; people are just really interested in helping.”