Stacy Peterson
President and owner
Connoils LLC
Waukesha
Employees: 25
Stacy Peterson is not afraid of taking risks.
That has come in handy over the past 12 years as president and owner of Connoils LLC.
The fast-growing Waukesha-based company manufactures and distributes wholesale bulk materials, including oils, oil powders and softgels, and retail consumer packaged goods for the health and nutrition, sport, dietary, cosmetic, and human and pet food industries.
Since purchasing the business in 2007 from Minnetonka, Minnesota-based Cargill Inc., Peterson has scaled the company to employ 25 people and distribute its products to businesses in 28 countries. Peterson said she keeps her plate full intentionally.
In mid-July, Connoils will relocate to a new 25,000-square-foot headquarters facility, situated on 9 acres of land off of I-43 in Big Bend. The expansion comes as the company rapidly expands its line of industrial hemp products, especially CBD (cannabidiol) oil.
The new facility will allow Connoils to not only produce organic CBD oil, but also to convert it into CBD oil powder using heatless drying technology, which extends the shelf-life of the product, Peterson said.
Connoils has contracted 24 Amish farmers to grow 30,000 to 40,000 pounds of hemp flower this year, she said. The company will also convert its current Waukesha facility into a hemp-growing site after it relocates this summer.
“We’ve been involved in the industry and researching it for four years, so we’ve put time into understanding what CBD is all about,” Peterson said. “…It’s not just about Connoils, it’s about helping people.”
