Mark Seiler ’89, President and CEO of Maine Root

After just a few sips of Matthew Seiler’s secret root beer recipe, Mark Seiler ’89 knew his brother had stumbled onto something big.

Matt’s inspiration had come while waiting tables at a pizza shop in Portland, Maine. He’d tired of lackluster root beers and set out to create something better tasting and more environmentally responsible. Matthew had already taken the first entrepreneurial steps himself, selling the root beer out of his truck, when Mark gave up his job in software sales to help grow and run the business.

Now, ten years later, Maine Root is found on store shelves from the USA to the UK to Hong Kong, and in flavors like Blueberry and Mandarin Orange.

Keith Bouchard ’14 talked with Mark to hear his take on life as an entrepreneur in the beverage industry.

Maine Root is marketed as an environmentally responsible soda product. What makes Maine Root different?

Maine Root uses Fair Trade Organic Cane Juice (FTOCJ) as our primary ingredient instead of genetically modified high fructose corn syrup. Organic Cane Juice is grown without genetic modification, petro-chemical fertilizers, or pesticides. We pay about 10 percent more for our FTOCJ. That money is invested in the communities where the cane is grown in Paraguay. Schools, hospitals, and equipment are purchased and built to keep the communities moving in a positive direction.

Has your vision for Maine Root changed as it has grown from a small, local company to an international distributor?

We set out to build the best self-funded, and most socially conscious beverage company known to man. That vision has not changed.

In your role as president and CEO, has there been an “a-ha” moment that has changed your perspective on leadership or Maine Root’s potential for growth?

Yes, every day there’s an “a-ha” moment. The biggest “a-ha” came before I was at Maine Root. It was about 20 years ago at a software company where I was watching and working with individuals who had extremely high IQs. They were absolutely committed to the core of their DNA that they were going to take over Earth. When I first heard them roll out their vision, I laughed, and they stared back with a look I’ll never forget. If I wasn’t on board I needed to hit the bricks that minute. It helped me understand where to find the seventh gear overdrive that not many people push hard enough to ever find. Long story short, figure out how you want to spend your time, what it’s going to take to get there, set your sights high, and keep going.

How would you describe a day at the Maine Root office?

Hammer down.

Who do you consider to be a role model or mentor?

Any salesperson who is out there banging doors and hitting the phones harder than everyone else, or just pushing themselves to make that one extra call per day when they are worn out and ready to call it a day. People who are still learning how to do new things, helping others on their way up, and giving the people the motivational nudge they might need to go harder than they think they can go.

Think about Maine Root five years from now. What does the company look like and what have you accomplished?

At our average growth rate, we’ll be 3.2 times bigger than we are now. Maine Root will have the same things going on, just 3.2 times more of it.

Okay, now for the hard-hitting question: If aliens visited Earth for a bottle of Maine Root, what flavor would you choose for them and why?

Ginger brew because it’s so different from other brands. It really kicks hard!

Tags:  entrepreneur environmentally responsible fair trade Maine Root Mark Seiler root beer soda