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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Summer vacation season has arrived. Around 75 percent of us plan to take a trip this year so the roads are going to be busy, and what's one of the key components to any road trip? Great snacks!
This is what Diane Brewer is providing through her company, Gruetage Gourmet Popcorn, headquartered in Leeds, Utah. Gruetage provides 10 different flavors of gourmet popcorn. The top-selling is the original English Toffee Popcorn, but you've got to try the Dark Caramel and the Churro, which tastes just like a churro. Once you taste it, you'll understand why people love it. Right now they're developing vegan popcorn.
The idea for the company came from Diane's father. Her favorite treat growing up was when her father would make his original family recipe English Toffee popcorn. He would give it away as gifts to friends and family, who loved the delicious treat. It was only natural for Diane to follow in her father's footsteps and start making the popcorn.
In 1989, she formed her own business to sell the popcorn to others and today, it's known as Gruetage Gourmet Popcorn. One of her first accounts was a Marriott hotel in Palm Springs, who used it as a promotional item. The business grew from there. The family moved to Southern Utah because they needed a bigger space to start producing the gourmet popcorn.
This is very a family-owned and operated business with Diane, her husband, Kelly, and their two sons involved with the company. Family-owned companies like Gruetage are an important economic driver representing around 90 percent of businesses in the U.S. Today, you can find Gruetage Gourmet Popcorn in various stores across the state, like Jolley's Pharmacy in Salt Lake City and Harmon's and Sportsman's Warehouse in St. George. Several organizations also use it for gift baskets. Diane is working on deals to get her popcorn in other retail locations. You can find it online at gruetage.com.
Running a business can be tough - the Zions Bank Women's Financial Group can help. Contact them to find out how.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Gruetage Gourmet Popcorn Leeds, UT 84746 435-879-6874 www.gruetage.com
