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Show I ( ; FEATURES CLASSIFIEDS TV GUIDE PAUL HARVEY along the bear river i SUPPLEMENT 10 THE NEWS EXAMINER. PRESIJ1 i ll !7 N CITlEN. CACHL GRACE CITIZEN ANU THE IEADIR GARIANI) TIMES when is Whuffs' f bv C'lKTIS STARK Through the years the small western Box Elder County Community of Snowville has existed on dry farm operations, gas stations and cafes fed by motorists on But in the last two years the town has become the homebase tor a business-- or more correctly businesses which will soon be international. The activity centers 80. Snowville resident Lon Neal and two corporations Markknown as Inter-Tra- de eting and PLN Inc. And the never You'll products? guess. The two basic commodities the Snowville business handles Is Tuff trash can liners and Whuts. So, whats Whuts is Whuts?" a whole wheat in product manufactured variations as a snack item and as a health food cereal. In all the firm produces nine different forms of the product ranging from butterscotch covered Whuts to on ion and Whuts. This year Neal expects to gross at least dollars thru his two operations, both of which are housed In a 170 feet by 40-fbuilding located just off the off-rafrom the freeway. Neal purchased the rights to Whuts about years ago from the same man from which he purchased the Tuff trash can liner business. The operation was handled in Bountiful until June when Neal brought it to Snowville to join the rest of his operation. eet firm now has distributors in just about every state In the union selling tho snack item through a variety of grocery stores and other retail outlets. The The most exciting prospect is an international op- eration. We're really excited about Whut Nuts International Inc., Neal said. That's the name of a new corporat which we had to move in. Neal also thinks that the volume of mail put out by the Arm will soon require a new post office in town. IBs pride shows a little more when he boasts that eight new homes were built in Snowville recently.. .the first in the last rs. When I told the people in town we were going to have semi's wheeling in and out of her, they couldn't believe it Neal said. But at least four a month load upat the plant Hadley Fruit Farms of California recently ordered .a ton of the snack item in bulk. Neal also. had. a. hand, in forming the Western Monument Cafe and Store which stands next door but he recently divested himself of that interest through a stock ion which will very soon establish a manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia. Neal will be president and own 49 percent of the stock. The firm is negotiating for a plant In Canada as well. What does Snowville offer an International organi- 20-yea- zation? One day I just decided to go into business for myself so we came out here and formed a corporation, Neal said. I owned a ranch here. And I felt it was time to develop rural America. I felt somebody had to take the in- itiative. Neal started his operation by buying the Tuff trash can liners in quantity, repackaging them, then distributing them to retail outlets. That business alone should gross $250 to $300 thousand this year, he observed. It's so much fen, you cant believe it Neal said of his operation. On his wall in his office hangs a plaque designating him a member trade. BILL BRANCH, SUPERINTENDENT, of United Airlines 100,000 mile club but now Fll be flying Internationally... its a real education. The Snowville businessman said he studied for more than a year before attempting the international move. My success is based on two things, he said. The key to making a man successful is the people he has him. The other thing is being fortunate to have a product which has the versatility ours has. Neal says the product can, for instance, be used as a substitute for nuts in cakes and ice creams, be usedasa topping and can even be sprinkled over salads. Snowville was also chosen as a site because the wheat is located here, Neal added, lie expects the plant to utton of wheat ilize 300-40P FROM PACKAGING TO LABELING TO SEALING THE LITTLE PACKAGES THAT ARE SOLD AND NEAL LON a year DISCUSS and THEIR WHEAT were just getting started really. The plant, which employs 12 full-tiworkers and seven part-tim- e, is already operating on an ur day with plans to expand around the dock. That will require a total workforce of about 35, he added. Another added plus for the rural setting, Neal noted Is that they know how to work here. They're all brm girls and so they're used to working long hours. It doesn't bother them. me 18-ho- The roll Arm's monthly payruns anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. And, that comes right into the town...right to the people, Neal noted. I don't know if we've helped Snowville, but we've We've tried, he said. hired all local people except for the technical people THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES PRODUCT The thing I hated about the grocery store was that I had to wait for the customer before 1 could sell him, he said. Neal, who was a high-pa- id insurance executive before going into business for himself is a member of the Garland Stake high council of the LDS church. ' He and his wife, Wilma, have seven children. We love living here... there's a lot of good people here, he observed. Of the towns people, he notes: They have a hard time understanding me because they see me dressed up in a business suit all the time. In all Neal notes: We think were having fantastic But hes quick to results. We're in a business add: where you're hot and cold. ' |