Froodles.

• Author: Peterson, Eric
• Position: Azari Food Products - Brief article

Longtime CSU biochemistry professor Paul Azari started making homemade noodle-shaped fruit snacks--a.k.a. Froodles--for his kids in the 1970s, but it wasn't until his daughter Vicky Loran, a professional violinist, hurt her hand that it became a business. "I didn't know if I'd be able to play again--it was a crisis," said Loran. So she teamed with her father to launch Azari Food Products and spent two years in "setup" mode before the first Froodles hit retail. Since then, Loran's hand recovered and she is busy balancing her musical career with the booming food company, which saw sales double in 2005 and is on track to do the same this year. All 15...