Ferndale’s Live Crispy Won Last Year’s MI Snack Competition, Now Eyeing Bigger Markets

Ferndale-based entrepreneur Dave Shammas, owner of Live Crispy, won the grand prize at the second annual MI Snack Competition in Port Huron, taking home $30,000. Despite not placing in the previous year, Shammas’ all-natural dehydrated fruit snack won both the Mindful Munchies category and the overall competition, earning him $15,000 for each win.

The 2023 MI Snack Competition attracted over 50 snack makers statewide, with more than $50,000 in prizes awarded. In addition to the cash prize, Shammas secured a distribution deal with All Star Services, a break room services company.

Shammas, who launched Live Crispy in 2020, has since expanded his product’s reach, including a listing on Amazon. As he gears up for larger markets like Target, he’s also being courted by the TV show Shark Tank. The 2024 competition is set for Sept. 14, with entries due by August 12.

Reporting for WGRT – Choze Powell