PLANT OF ATTACK.

• Author: Martin, Cathy
• Position: STATE WIDE: west

In 2014, partners Sadrah Schadel and Mike Woliansky brought their vegan protein products to an Asheville farmers market and sold out on the first day. Today, No Evil Foods sells its "plant meat" offerings such as Pit Boss 'Pulled Pork BBQ' and The Stallion 'Italian Sausage' in more than M 250 stores in 25 states, including Earth Fare, Whole Foods Market, MOM's Organic Market and independent grocers.

To accommodate revenue growth averaging 100% annually since 2014, No Evil Foods plans to add about 15 workers by year-end, doubling its current workforce. This summer, the company will move into a 15,000-square-foot space in the former Arvato DVD-making plant in Weaverville, about 10 miles north of Asheville. It currently works out of a shared-use kitchen space on Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College's Candler campus.

"It's one of the reasons we moved to Asheville," says Schadel in describing the Blue Ridge Food Ventures incubator, which provides 24hour access, professional equipment and other resources to artisan- and natural-foods startups. With business booming, "we're pushing at the seams of what's possible at Blue Ridge," she says. The expansion will allow the business to add new retailers and product lines.

Schadel, who was raised as a vegetarian, learned to make much of her food from scratch since meat-free protein options were limited. "I got an early sense of how to create flavors and make food that was innovative and delicious."

Previously living in upstate New York, the couple was involved in sustainable agriculture, which led to a curiosity about the origins of food. "A lot of protein alternatives were made with a lot of ingredients that I didn't recognize,"...