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They Find It, You Keep It

Shopping alert: Trying to find that one-of-a-kind‚ collectible antique? New or vintage furniture? Carpets from around the world? Luxury bedding?

All that and more can be found at Finderskeepers Market‚ where owners James Snowden and Randall Terrell have assembled an eclectic mix of just about everything they can think of under one roof.

“It’s something that I’ve done for friends and family since I was a teenager‚” Snowden says of his collecting. “I always wanted to have my own shop but was a little afraid. After being a children’s librarian for about 12 years‚ I decided to just go for it.”

Since opening in May 2006 in the historic W.T. Hanly House near downtown‚ Snowden says the community has embraced the new business wholeheartedly.

“I think people are really excited that we’re here‚” he says. “We’re a little bit different than other shops in the area. We work to make our inventory really unique‚ so people can find something special every time they come in. And for me‚ it’s just great to wake up and go to work knowing I’ll enjoy what I’m doing.”

Beyond the Bottom Line

Need something boxed up? Look no further.

Mt. Sterling’s Hoffman Enclosures makes metal boxes of all kinds‚ and the subsidiary of Pentair Corp. employs more than 300 people. But the company is probably best known in town for its philanthropic efforts.

Ask Tom Toland‚ director of Kentucky operations‚ what Hoffman Enclosures does for charity‚ and he can tick off a list that would put some nonprofits to shame.

“We’re sponsoring the junior pro football program‚ a summer camp in Montgomery County‚” he says. “We provide T-shirts and footballs with the Hoffman logo on them‚ so the parents and schools don’t have to buy those things.”

The company also has donated $10‚000 to the area’s Boy Scout camp so a former cafeteria can be converted into a training center with wireless Internet access and full audio-visual capabilities. Then there’s the $10‚000 for renovating the former firehouse downtown to be the new home for the Montgomery County Historical Society; the donation to nearby Gateway Services‚ which provides a variety of social services to area residents in need; the graphing calculators for McNabb Middle School’s accelerated-math program; the $20‚000 donation to help Hope Hill‚ a children’s home‚ with additional office space for its foster-care staff.

“We’ve got a committee of four people here who look at our budget‚ see what we have to give away‚ and then start looking at where we can do the most good for the community‚” Toland says. “Then we write grants and get money approved through the foundation‚ so we’re able to give money in two different ways. We’re very involved with our community.”

They Have Great Gates

Since 1994‚ “solutions” has been the watchword at Gateway Manufacturing.

The company specializes in a variety of manufacturing and assembling processes‚ designing a program that meets each customer’s specific needs. Owner Doug Gessford says the company is truly full service‚ providing purchasing‚ logistics‚ engineering support and direct labor.

Just what kind of services does the company offer? Anything from electronic assembly and repair to mechanical assembly‚ packaging‚ laser engraving and distribution services are available. If it’s something Gateway hasn’t done before‚ the company will tackle a new service. The goal is to free up customers’ staff members to do other jobs.

The company has seen steady growth‚ with Doug and Carol Gessford‚ along with co-owner Daryl Eason‚ opening a new facility in June 2005. There they manufacture items as diverse as the ADVENTURER® series pens and the Guardmaster®/Keepsafe® Juvenile and Pet Gates. Another pen made on site is the PenAgain‚™ an ergonomic-designed pen that has been recommended by the Arthritis Foundation for people with severe rheumatoid arthritis.

The juvenile and pet gates are sold to large retail chains such as Wal-Mart‚ True Value hardware and Kroger. Gateway is the only on-shore manufacturer of them in the United States.

Working at Gateway is a pretty good deal: Employees with perfect attendance get two weeks’ extra pay every year. After two years‚ the bonus is a four-day/three night stay anywhere in the country. These programs have led to more than half the employees logging at least one year of perfect attendance.

Oh‚ and they get to fish in a pond on the property.

Such Sweet Success

Ruth Tharpe Hunt was onto something in 1921 when she began selling her homemade candies. But even she would be amazed these days at the size and scope of the company she started.

Ruth Hunt Candies now produces a wide variety of confections year-round‚ and since 1993 has been the official candy maker for the Kentucky Derby. This means that while most candy makers are slowing down for the spring and summer months‚ the Hunt facility is going full tilt‚ says Tobby Moore‚ manager.

“The Derby happens before it’s unbearably hot‚ so at least we get that business before it’s too bad‚” Moore says. “But we do slow down in the summer when everybody’s switching to ice cream and sodas.”

The company moved seven years ago from its longtime location to a new‚ 15‚000-square-foot plant to keep up with demand‚ and it’s constantly upgrading its equipment‚ Moore says. In addition to retail sales in Kentucky‚ the company ships throughout the United States‚ including filling orders for some high-profile customers. One Christmas‚ Lady Bird Johnson ordered 60 pounds of chocolate-covered creams for Christmas gifts.

And then there are the Derby fans‚ who aren’t shy about their love of chocolate.

“We make an annual Derby version of a chocolate bar for them‚ and tons and tons of bourbon balls‚” he says. “It really has created a new holiday season for us.”

Hometown Advantage

Home-improvement shoppers in Mt. Sterling are luckier than most. They have two family-owned stores where their needs – and names – are well known.

Keath’s Home Center and McCormick Lumber Co. are longtime businesses in the city‚ and they’re the go-to stores for everything from nails to paint. Keath’s has been in business since 1971 and owned by Robert and David Corey since 1991. McCormick’s has been around since 1880 and is on its seventh generation of family members.

“People like doing business within the community‚” says Janice Miller‚ office manager of Keath’s. “They like that personal touch.”

McCormick’s has been in the same location since the beginning‚ a site near a creek‚ which came in handy for the steam engines that once delivered goods. That kind of permanence has been good for the store and the community‚ says owner Mac McCormick.

“When you come to a place like ours‚ you get a lot more‚” he says. “Our people know where everything is‚ not like the big stores where they just know what’s in their department. And here you can get in and out in 10‚ 15 minutes. Contractors like that‚ because time is money.”

Story by Joe Morris
Photo by Greg Emens

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