Mary O’Donnell, an Ohio native, relocated to Florida in 2009. Just a year later, she acquired Terrapin Ridge Farms, assuming the roles of CEO and owner. Under O’Donnell’s guidance, Terrapin Ridge Farms, a prominent producer and distributor of distinctive gourmet condiments, flourished. What once started as a modest selection of products with around 100 customers expanded to encompass over 110 products and a customer base exceeding 7,000 worldwide.
I grew up in Rocky River, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. My mother worked for American Greetings Inc. as a merchandising supervisor, and my father was a sales representative in the electrical supply industry. I wanted to be a doctor when I grew up, then later a physical therapist. When I was in college, I took an economics class as an elective and decided I liked it more than the science classes I was taking for physical therapy. Therefore, I changed my major to business administration.
In 2001, I met a recruiter on a plane who later called me with an opportunity to be a CEO of a gourmet food company in a small town in Ohio. My husband, Sean, was a Cleveland police officer and had been thinking about making a change so we took the leap and made the move.
My husband is my biggest supporter. He offers a lot of encouragement during the ups and downs of running a business and was a stay-at-home dad when the kids were young. My family is also very supportive, and I have a wonderful group of girlfriends that I’ve known since high school and even some from grade school that are a great support system.
We moved to the Tampa Bay Area in 2009. I came here to run another company for a friend. That didn’t work out after about a year, however we loved the area so much there was no way we were going to leave. I love the blue skies and year-round greenery. There isn’t a day that I don’t pull out of my garage and take a deep breath and think, “Wow!” In Ohio, there are a lot of grey skies and brown for a lot of the year and that can wear on you. Also, there’s so much to do, concerts, sports teams, great restaurants, lots of areas to walk around and shop and of course the beaches! Since moving to Florida, we rarely take beach vacations like we did when we lived in Cleveland. We like travelling to interesting cities or areas where we can hike. I never thought I’d be part of a family that takes hiking vacations!
The last few years taught me that surrounding yourself with the right people that share your core values and are highly talented in their role is one of the most important things a CEO can do. We’ve grown from having myself and 1 part-time employee to over 51 employees. We’ve diligently worked on assembling a robust leadership team. Each member brings expertise in their domain and shares our organizational values and vision, allowing us to streamline operations and reignite our growth trajectory.
My business philosophy is centered around giving customers what they want with as little hassle as possible. We prioritize open communication and actively seek feedback from customers, whether it’s through interactions at tradeshows, in-store demos, or other channels. Listening to their comments and suggestions is not just a practice but a core value, as it allows us to tailor our products and services to meet their needs and preferences.
Aside from raising two beautiful children, of whom I couldn’t be prouder, I feel proud of the people that have worked for me who have grown in their positions and taken on bigger roles or have gone on to do different things outside of the company. Treating people well is a fundamental principle that guides every aspect of our business operations. Whether it’s our customers, employees or partners, we believe in fostering relationships built on trust, respect and integrity.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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Hayli Zuccola – Photography by Gabriel Burgos
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