Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
After graduating from college, Eric Plyer was looking for a business opportunity to fulfill his desire to become an entrepreneur. At the time, bakeries were a hot commodity so Eric decided to try his hand at running his own bakery. He opened Aspen Mills Bread Company in 1996.
Aspen Mills was originally a bakery franchise out of Palm Springs, Calif., but it closed in the late 90s. After its closing, the Plyer family went out on its own but retained the name. In early 2000, it was apparent that the growing bakery had outgrown its small Layton location. Eric found a larger facility in Ogden, renovated and remodeled it to fit the needs of the bakery and reopened it in 2001.
Aspen Mills Bread Company is primarily a wholesale bread business that distributes its products through Costco, Sam's Clubs and grocery stores in eight Western states. Eric says the company offers 28 varieties of bread; the most in-demand products are honey whole wheat, nine-grain, honey white and sourdough. The other popular breads vary by season. For example, the squaw (a traditional dark, sweet rye) sells quickly in the winter, and the cranberry-cinnamon spice is a holiday-season treat. Other specialty breads include banana nut, pumpkin chocolate chip, cranberry orange, fresh peach cobbler and jalapeno cheese bread.
The deli at the front of the bakery sells pastries, soups, salads and sandwiches and seats up to 30 people. For dessert, the bakery offers a selection of large cookies, including oatmeal raison, chocolate chip, snicker doodles and sugar cookies.
Eric feels Aspen Mills Bread Company has built a reputation for quality products. Despite increases in the cost of materials to make the bread, he refuses to do anything to compromise the quality of his products. He plans to continue searching for controlled growth opportunities.
