Lehi Mills unveils a new look to go with its modernized products

LEHI — Known for being the location of many new tech businesses along Silicon Slopes, Lehi is still the home to a few older businesses. One of those older businesses is attempting to modernize and become a national household name.

Lehi Mills, a landmark in northern Utah County since the early 1900s, unveiled a new logo on Wednesday that company leaders hope will make their product a little bit more modern and recognizable throughout the United States.

"This is what I like about Lehi … we do have the high-tech stuff here, it's definitely here, but we also have some things that are still associated with our roots, this facility is one of those things," Lehi Mayor Mark Johnson said about the wheat milling company.

Johnson said the notoriety of the mill doesn't just come from its featured role in the movie "Footloose"; it is a landmark people can easily see when driving along I-15 near the Lehi Main Street exit and used to be the reason that trains would come through and stop in the city. He said not many cities in Utah, or in the country, have a historical landmark like the mill.

Johnson said his father-in-law used to build and refurbish the wooden chutes inside the mill, and the mayor said he was impressed on a recent tour of the facility by how up-to-date the mill is, despite the historical look from the outside.

"It's not old technology. You've still got the old storefront and everything, but it's all-new technology in there. So, they're doing everything right," Johnson said. "It's awesome to see them having success at taking a business and keeping the whole atmosphere but yet modernizing it."

Ken Brailsford's private equity firm KEB Enterprises purchased Lehi Roller Mills after the company filed for bankruptcy in 2012. Brailsford said the struggles were due to the federal government taking over a bank four years earlier and shutting off the mill's line of credit without warning or notice.

"I just didn't want to see it going down, and that's probably what could have happened to it," Brailsford said.

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Offer made for purchase of bankrupt Lehi Roller Mills

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He said although they are seeking to expand, the mill's biggest challenge is that it is operating at capacity. The mill runs all day and night and produces about 2.1 million pounds of flour each month. Brailsford said the new branding helps bring the mill into the 21st century, but that the building design itself is not going to change, just the product.

Sheri Cutler, Brailsford's daughter and vice president for KEB Enterprises, explained that in addition to changing the labeling and branding, the products are being modernized. Lehi Mills is replacing artificial flavors with all-natural ingredients; the new packages are recyclable; and the bags are able to be zipped so that the mix doesn't have to be used all at once or moved to a container. Cutler said the new packages and products are designed to be perfect for a busy mom or grandma.

"I believe that every mom should love our product, because it's really farm to mill to table. That's how fresh it is," Cutler said.

She said Lehi Mills is unique because it has its own mill, something other companies that make mixes don't have. This allows the company to be pickier about the flour and wheat it uses. She said that it sometimes turns trucks away if the wheat doesn't meet its standards, including a high-enough protein content.

In addition to being sold online, products from Lehi Mills are already found in Costco and in Associated Foods locations in Utah. Specific products, like the vegan brownie, are sold in Kroger stores across multiple states.

"Our goal is to be national, but what I felt we couldn't do about our old brand is go national. ... It just kind of blends in with the whole aisle, and so I wanted something eye-catching," Cutler said.

She said that although Lehi Mills is getting rid of its fabric-bagged mixes because they are more expensive to make, they do plan to carry the fabric bags around the holidays and sell other holiday-themed items.

Brock Knight, manager of Lehi Mills, said one advantage the mill has is being able to put freshly milled flour directly into the mixes.

"Our focus is baking quality," Knight said.

He said the national launch and re-branding will be incremental, the new branding will be added to boxes which still have the traditional look at the start of the next year, and they will be starting a line of single-serve microwave mixes as well.

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