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About AURI

Client Testimonials

What AURI’s clients say about our work.


Smude Enterprise

AURI has been a vital resource in the development of our product. AURI has helped us with nutritional labeling, shelf stability and also developing a market or researching other uses for our byproducts. AURI believes in you, not just your product, and they are always willing to share your story with others they think will also be a source of product advancement.
—Jenni Smude, Smude Enterprises LLC

The Amazing Chickpea

As a small food entrepreneur in Minnesota, all I can say is that AURI is your best partner. They help you by providing technical and non-technical guidance. AURI’s staff is amazing and they go out of their way to help their clients succeed.
—Sunil Kumar, The Amazing Chickpea

Kay’s Naturals Inc.

AURI has contributed to the success of our branded line, Kay’s Naturals, in achieving nationwide distribution of our products through its marketing grants and by analyzing product for nutritional data, as well as opportunities to demonstrate our products to the public. Most importantly, we have been treated with respect as a contributing member of the Minnesota ag business community and received tremendous encouragement from AURI.
—Ann Jones Kazemzadeh, Kay’s Naturals Inc.

American BioLabs

At the time of our first meeting with AURI, we had nothing but an idea and some brief conversations with pelleting industry people…AURI helped us through the discovery phase of technology testing, formulation optimization and commercialization testing. We would not be at the stage of development we are without AURI.
—Brian Caldwell, American BioLabs

Steve’s Pepper Sauce

What I found out from AURI in a week would have taken me a year on my own.
—Steve Olds, Steve’s Pepper Sauce

Growan Energy

Growan Energy is very grateful for the partnership with AURI. The partnership has allowed us to move our innovative biodiesel technology toward commercialization faster than we could have done on our own…..It has been a very valuable partnership, and we hope the relationship will continue.
—Jerad Poling, Growan Energy

Lucky’s Popcorn Dressing

AURI research is an invaluable tool for startups like mine.
—Mark Porisch, Lucky’s Popcorn Dressing

Bio-Plastic Solutions

AURI helped us get through the economic downturn; we didn’t have to stop our development because of AURI.
—Gary Noble, Bio-Plastic Solutions

Alternative Energy Solutions

We learned, with the assistance of AURI, the best-case scenario for developing our new business in terms of the optimum manufacturing process, setup and implementation.
—Eric Kriedemacher, Alternative Energy Solutions

Fergus Foods

The process of taking a “good idea,” to developing a great product, to selling at retail is a very time-consuming process. AURI’s staff and resources assisted with most stages of development including: R&D, market development and technical analysis required for our new facility.
—Rob Fuglie, Fergus Foods

Rivard’s Quality Seeds, Inc.

We saved a handful of jobs. We weren’t going to be able to keep on the way we were…we needed a certain volume of business to keep the doors open. A big thank you to AURI for helping us accomplish that.
—Glenn Rivard, Rivard’s Quality Seeds, Inc.

Ferndale Market

AURI’s involvement from start to finish was invaluable. This is a project I know we could never have undertaken on our own.
—John Peterson, Ferndale Market

Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company

AURI researchers think outside the box very well, and their exposure to a wide variety of agricultural-related industries gives them both a depth and breadth of knowledge that is valuable to utilize.
—Vincent Copa, Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company

RAES Foods, Inc./Bee Free Honee

AURI’s services cannot have a dollar value placed on them…When I tell people I worked with AURI for product development, they have a stronger sense of security in working with me. I am not sure I could have continued without them. This is the kind of government program that should be expanded because this is the kind of program that does nothing but good.
—Katie Sanchez, RAES Foods, Inc./Bee Free Honee

USA Solutions

We are in business today for one reason—all of the help we’ve received. Without AURI, I don’t know where we would be today. We just had an idea; AURI made it possible.
—Darryl Metcalfe, USA Solutions

American Crystal Sugar

AURI has given us the ability to pursue projects and technologies outside of our core business. They are our go-to group that helps us develop byproduct streams into additional value-added products. Their experience and network in Minnesota has enabled us to reach further outside our locale to new markets, ideas and customers.
—Aaron Bjerke, American Crystal Sugar