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2018
Women INF LU EN T I AL
IN BUSINESS
The adage says “Find a job you love and you’ll never word a day in your life.” But, the women within these pages have put plenty of work into their businesses.
Building a successful company requires tenacity, sacrifice, resilience, thick skin and lots and lots of old-fashioned hard work. It’s the passion that fuels the process, that makes trial-and- error bearable and makes small successes outweigh discouragement. Many of these women have been entrepreneurs for years, like designer Anne-Marie Barton, who started out selling Avon door-to-door when she was just 12-years-old. Others came to find their passion later, like McKenzie Rockwood, who was working as a dietitian when she started a company to help people eat healthier. No matter the timing, the women profiled in the Women in Business section are remarkable Utah women who are doing what they love—with passion and drive and a lot of work.
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Kris Cappaert OWNER, BLUE IGUANA
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ew restaurants in Salt Lake City are as iconic as Blue Iguana, the culinary baby of Kris Cappaert, a fixture among Downtown’s restaurateurs since 1998. “We’re a downtown institution going on 21 years,” says Cappaert. “Lasting that long in the restaurant business is no easy feat. There are a handful of iconic restaurants that retain the same flavor and faithful origins as Blue Iguana.” And her dedication to being a successful business woman started at a very early age. “I’ve always been very thrifty and probably should have been a banker. When I was in elementary school, I was elected to banker for half of the year and mayor of the class for the other half,” she remembers. “I have, to this day, my piggy bank from when I was little—a two foot tall lime green plastic poodle that’s still filled with change from that age.” Her dedication to saving and succeeding led her to take a big chance when the Red Iguana family offered the Blue Iguana restaurant to her about six months after opening in 1997. “I owned several businesses before this, but I’d never been in the restaurant industry. I just thought it was a such a great product, and I believed in it so much,” says Cappaert. And she is fully dedicated to keeping the Blue Iguana’s authentic Mexican cuisine as fresh and up-to-date as possible. “My husband, Ed, and I go to Mexico three or four times every year, largely to look for inspiration and to refine the brand to make it more authentic,” she says. “Every time we go down there, we come back with new ideas. We take lots of notes and its very important to us that, when you walk in the door, you feel like you’re south of the border.” While they’re always looking for improvements, consistency is the name of the game for Cappaert, and the restaurant has even maintained the original chef and sous chef nearly since opening over twenty years ago. Cappaert wants all to know, “it’s always a fun, colorful fiesta at Blue Iguana.”
165 S W Temple Salt Lake City, UT 801-533-8900 blueiguanarestaurant.net
Q&A Q. BEST ADVICE? “Don’t make important decisions when you are angry, and don’t make promises when you’re happy.” Q. WHAT’S NEW? “We’re constantly making every dish better and fresher and buying the best ingredients we can. We have a new menu item served in a lava rock bowl called Molcajete. It has fresh grilled chicken, grilled jalapenos wrapped in bacon, jumbo shrimp, grilled beef strips, tomatillo sauce and cactus.” Q. WHY IS BLUE IGUANA IMPORTANT IN THE SALT LAKE COMMUNITY? “We’ve retained a very high percentage of original staff from the restaurant’s origins, and I think it’s a testament to the management style, and I’m very loyal to my staff as well. We’ve won dozens of awards—three times in a row by Best of State for Best Authentic Mexican, we’ve won Best of Utah awards and we’re Zagat rated.”
Year company was founded
1997
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Anne-Marie Barton PRINCIPAL/OWNER, AMB DESIGN INTERIORS
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ith parents who built a new home each of the 8 times we moved, I have been around the grass roots of building homes all of my life. I begged for my first design project at 12 years old. In order to design my new safari themed bedroom complete with a rattan swing chair I hit the streets selling Avon door to door.” Anne-Marie has come a long way since her first job which included one of the same iconic 70s swing chairs you may see in her projects today. Now, as the principal and owner of AMB Design, a high-end, start to finish interior design firm in Utah, she enjoys work from coast-to-coast.
Q&A Q. HOW DOES YOUR PERSONALITY INFLUENCE YOUR BUSINESS? “I’ve always said that this job is not made for the faint of heart. Having a good amount of confidence is equally as important as your aesthetic vision. I believe in the my own 50/50 Rule: A home must be based on 50% aesthetic, 50% practical. Ultimately, I believe anything practical can be beautiful.”
Barton’s penchant for embracing challenging projects results in quite a range of residential, commercial and hospitality clients. “What distinguishes our firm may be our range of styles along with our abilities to work deeply with the architectural planning and all build/design needs. At heart, we are designers who crave a challenge and step out of our comfort zone to create within every genre,” says Barton. AMB Design specializes in the “turnkey experience,” meaning they provide complete design builds while ushering the client through the whole process from architect to builder and then polished design. “Our goal is to create an experience of ease and enjoyment resulting in an emotional attachment providing client’s a more beautiful life.” says Barton. Though she enjoys work outside of Utah, Barton is most proud of the work and design she does in her local stomping grounds. “Being from Connecticut originally, I understand the naivety of those outside of our state when it comes to realizing the amount of design and style here. There is absolutely no lack of fine design here. Utah has everything from high-end, organic modern to refined, traditional classic homes.
AMB DESIGN annemarie barton.com amb@ambdesigninc.com 801-272 8680
Q. WHAT IS SATISFYING ABOUT YOUR WORK? “I literally eat, drink and sleep what I do. Surpassing the expectations of my clients usually means little sleep, but it’s worth it!”
Year company was founded
1993
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Kellie Jackstien
OWNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, ARTISAN BLOOM
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hen Kellie Jackstien was a student at the University of Utah she paid her way through school by working three part-time jobs, one of which was designing arrangements in a local floral shop. “I liked flowers and I loved design, and the floral shop was a creative environment for me--I gravitated towards it,” she says. After graduating from the University of Utah with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Kellie was faced with choosing whether or not to pursue graduate school or follow her budding interest in design. Choosing to pursue her passion for both flowers and design, Kellie applied for a business license, opening Artisan Bloom in October 2000. It wasn’t an easy start. “I began with nothing. No working capital. No investors. No staff. No formal office space and no real leads. Nine months after opening Artisan Bloom, the country was devastated by 9/11. While we were navigating through this new fear of ‘terror alerts’ and ‘travel advisories,’ the travel and tourism industry took a tremendous hit. For a company whose primary market is destination weddings and corporate events, that uphill climb became even more challenging,” says Jackstien. “However, through hard work, persistence and an amazing network of coordinators and venues who believed in me, Artisan Bloom not only survived, but has thrived.”
801-913-7444 kellie@artisanbloom.com artisanbloom.com
Q&A Q. WHAT MAKES YOUR BUSINESS UNIQUE AND INTERESTING? “95% of our clients are not local; They’re coming here from other destinations to celebrate an incredibly important day with their friends and family. It’s an opportunity for us as designers to play to the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains, so it allows us to design and create events and florals that highlight the beauty of Utah.” Q. BIGGEST CHALLENGE? “Honestly, in my particular industry, I haven’t had to battle the wage gap, I haven’t had to fight discrimination beyond people thinking there must be ‘someone else’ behind the business side of things. But I’m very conscious that the opportunity to see the kind of success I’ve seen and own a company wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for women fighting this battle before me. It’s something I’m always grateful for and something I try to pay forward.” Q. BEST ADVICE FOR NEW BUSINESS OWNERS?
Year company was founded
2000
“You have to be able to work hard…all the time. It’s not an easy thing to do, and it can’t just be a hobby. Take it seriously. Be honorable. Be ethical. Create your own path, and don’t ride anyone’s coattails.
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Liz Findlay CO-OWNER, ALBION FIT
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lbion Fit co-founder, Liz Findlay, is deeply passionate about bringing comfortable, original and highquality clothing to her customers. “Dave and I are passionate about making things that we personally love. I’d never create or promote anything I, myself, wouldn’t wear or dress my kids in,” says Findlay. And part of that commitment means designing the pieces inhouse with her husband, and cofounder, Dave. “We do everything together here in Salt Lake: sketches, designs and silhouettes. It’s all designed collaboratively between me and Dave and also with our team’s feedback.”
Year company was founded
2012
Though Albion initially started out as a women’s apparel line, they now offer high performance fitness, leisure and swimwear for women, men, girls and boys. With this expansion, Findlay believes she can more fully give back to the community she grew up in. “We’re home grown, we both went to the U and we met in downtown SLC. A large part of our identity is promoting Utah, our culture, the landscape and our way of life,” she adds. And Findlay’s innate creativity is part of what makes Albion Fit such a sought-after brand. “Dave and I are both creative souls when it comes down to it. I love the humanities and he is a trained graphic designer. We took Art History classes together in college and even lived in Florence for 6 weeks after we graduated. The aesthetic we established at Albion was key from the very beginning,” says Findlay. One look into their office says it all: “we have a bunch of art and museum books, Monet to Kandinsky.” This love of art gives Findlay much of her inspiration, along with natural colors, florals and architecture—proving that inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere.
City Creek Center, Suite 226 801-355-3365 Fashion Place Mall, Suite C262 801-528-4582 albionfit.com
Q&A Q. BEST ADVICE? “You can’t be afraid to fail. We’ve had several different ventures that didn’t work out. You’ve got to be willing to try different things, and you’re gonna have to decide to go all in.” Q. WHAT’S NEW? “We opened a store at Fashion Place, and we have a store opening up Dallas, TX. Then, we’re planning another store in Arizona in the next 6 months. So opening retail locations is our newest emphasis.”
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Mara Marian
OWNER, FUSE WEDDINGS AND EVENTS
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or those couples traveling to Utah to tie the knot, look no further than FUSE Weddings & Events. Owner Mara Marian knows how to create gorgeous events and transform indoor and outdoor spaces with flawless execution. She brings together talent, creativity and organization for clients and couples desiring innovative and fresh design with exciting guest experiences for their big day. Marian is known for her stunning mountain destination weddings, but she always incorporates breathtaking and cutting-edge elements into any event she designs.
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From LED-lit ballerinas to showstopping cocktail-hour aerialists, Marian brings events to life with transformative components. “We make sure our clients’ events are tailored to them and what they want. We always want to be fun and different,” says Marian. And her ever-expanding inventory of custom décor helps her create jawdropping events for any client, LDS to secular, local to out-of-state and even straight or same-sex couples. A point of pride, Marian was the first designer in Utah to have one of her same-sex wedding clients published in Utah Bride & Groom magazine.
Q. DREAM GOAL? “I’d love to open a venue. It would be exciting to have an event space that is also ours. I think it would be amazing to have our own space that we can put our own flavor on and produce events.” Q. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN THE SALT LAKE/PARK CITY COMMUNITY? “The destination business is big in Utah. We’re busy all year, but during summer months we’re helping to drive revenue that’s coming in from out of state. We also do one fundraiser event a year for a local non-profit chapter. We fully donate services and staffing to completely plan and produce the event, and to help local non-profits fundraise.”
Marian’s strong character and commitment to her clients means that the customer always gets what they want, from traditional to modern. “Because we take the time to get to know our clients and figure out what they’re excited about, we help them find that balance between what they feel will excite their guests and what they truly want,” says Marian. FUSE’s services range from partial to full service planning and can include everything from design to event day coordination.
335 Pierpont Ave, Salt Lake City, UT 801-512-9555 ignite@fuseweddingsandevents.com fuseweddingsandevents.com
Year company was founded
2008
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Kristin Rocke
OWNER/INTERIOR DESIGNER, K. ROCKE DESIGN
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elebrated interior designer Kristin Rocke is known for creating unparalleled design and beautiful, livable spaces for clients throughout Utah, as well as nationally and internationally. “I focus on thoughtful, dynamic and client-specific projects,” says Rocke. “I’m inspired by my clients, locations, and the architecture of their homes.”
Year company was founded
2004
Kristin’s extraordinary talent, global exposure and the combined 30-plus years of experience of her NCIDQcertified design team, add up to an unwavering commitment to style. She has received multiple awards including Top Ten Interior Designers, and her work has been featured in numerous local and national publications. Her passion for beautiful surroundings runs deep, and her dedication to clients results in outstanding customer service. “I have a deep commitment to my clients and the design execution. I work to achieve memorable results through the creative process. There’s a joy of life in my projects, and I think that our built environments are a manifestation of our best selves. I believe beauty elevates the soul.” Kristin is also the owner of Glass House, a cutting-edge, Salt Lake City shop offering style-savvy customers unique items that help transform their homes into places of vision and beauty. Visit social media sites at @glasshouseslc and @krockedesign.
3910 Highland Dr Millcreek, UT 801-274-2720 hello@krockedesign.com krockedesign.com
Q&A Q. DREAM GOAL? “I want my best work to be in front of me, and I know that’s possible. I want to keep producing good work, and I think good work begets good work.” Q. WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION? “Nature is always stirring, and architecture is extremely exciting as of late. Travel experiences often influence my work, and art is rousing. I love feeling inspired by my clients’ inspirations.”
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Marsha Holfeltz
FOUNDER, MADISON MCCORD INTERIORS
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adison McCord Interiors always strives to provide their clients with the best design possible, but their commitment to impressing clients with their design and delivery doesn’t stop there. “We do custom upholstery and our production time is 3 weeks,” says Marsha Holfeltz, owner and founder of Madison McCord Interiors. The unheard of 3-week custom creation timeline is revolutionizing the interior design industry in Utah, and Marsha’s custom upholstery covers everything from accent chairs, sectionals and sofas to beds and dining chairs. The possibilities are seemingly endless for Marsha’s clients. “We have 1000 fabrics and leathers to select from. If you love the way a sofa sits, you can pick whatever fabric you want. You don’t have to stay in any kind of standards,” says Holfeltz. And their line of luxury fabric offerings just increased with the addition of Moroni leather, a premier Italian 100% leather product in 80 different textures and colors. “We’re absolutely loving that line,” she adds. Not only can you order custom work within their lightning-fast 3-week timeline, you can get amazing pieces even faster by visiting their 22,000 square foot showroom. “If they like something in the showroom, they can take it with them that day,” says Holfeltz. “I like to keep my floor fresh; I want things to be different and to keep customers coming back.”
3960 S Highland Dr Millcreek, UT 801-277-5555 contact@madisonmccord.com madisonmccordinteriors.com
Q&A Q. WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION? “I go to the textiles. I like rich, colorful textiles, movement, beading and opulent fabrics. But we like to always tell people to be safe with their sofas and add the opulent color with pillows, accent chairs or artwork.” Q. WHAT’S UNIQUE? We’re involved with Utah Animal Advocacy rescue group and always have special needs dogs in the showroom that people fall in love with. They love the stories of these dogs, and they’re all adoptable.
Tina Redd (left) and Marsha Holfeltz
Year company was founded
2012
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Tiffany Colaizzi OWNER, NAME DROPPERS
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iffany Colaizzi absolutely lives and breathes fashion, a passion she’s known since she was a young girl. “My mom and I used to shop consignment when I was growing up. I always wanted a new outfit every day, so, instead of giving me money my mom would let me consign her clothes. Whatever money I earned from my mother’s clothes would go towards me getting something new to wear to school the next day,” she remembers. What was once a young woman’s dream, turned into reality. As the owner of Name Droppers, Tiffany holds the distinction of owning the only highend designer consignment clothing stores in Salt Lake City. Being a 3rd generation retailer, Tiffany believes that being a businesswoman is in her blood. Her stores (that’s right, more than one) embody her love of connecting local people with excellent fashion. Whether shopping at her Highland location or her Outlet store on Parleys Way, you’ll find Tiffany has brought tons of designer labels under one roof. Name Droppers gets merchandise shipped in from out-ofstate daily. But don’t think these are your traditional lightly worn items, many of the pieces at Name Droppers come new with a designer label and original price tags on them for a fraction of the original price. Name Droppers also offers inhouse styling options for customers at no additional fee. Simply make an appointment, and Tiffany or one of her highly trained associates will help you find the perfect outfit for your event, pulling items beforehand so you can see several great options upon arrival. In addition to prices already at a fraction of retail cost, both locations have a huge clearance sale during the last full weekend of every month-with the Highland store being open on Sundays!
3355 S Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 2350 Parleys Way, Salt Lake City, UT 801-486-1128, 801-474-1644 www.shopnamedroppers.com
Year company was founded
1995
Q&A Q. BEST ADVICE? “For customers: Why pay straight retail? Consignment shopping is a smart shoppers way to shop. For potential business owners: Figure out what your passion is and go with it. Just do it and don’t think about it too much. If it’s your passion success will follow.” Q. BIGGEST CHALLENGE? “Staffing is the hardest part to me about being a business owner; it can definitely be tricky! There’s a specific kind of person that I am always looking for. Someone that adds to my team, they must have a love for fashion and really love people. They need to know brands, know what’s out there, what’s in style and what the clients are going to want. I truly care for each and every person I do business with, So making sure I hire the right person for the job has always been something I take very seriously. I love to watch the beautiful women I work with grow while working with me, it’s so rewarding.” Q. DREAM GOAL? “I always have goals, but I believe I’m living my dream!”
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McKenzie Rockwood
OWNER/REGISTERED DIETITIAN, CITRUS PEAR
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orking as a Registered Dietitian at Logan Regional Hospital, McKenzie Rockwood always wondered if the patients she advised were able to adjust to life with dietary changes or restrictions. “I would try to teach them how to go home and follow this new diet, but then I would just send them on their way. This was my idea to try and bridge the gap between hospital and home,” says Rockwood, owner of Citrus Pear. “I developed this idea for customers to attend a class and make healthy freezer meals in bulk. All the meals can then be cooked in a pressure cooker or crock pot, which takes the stress out of healthy eating!,” she adds. Rockwood’s idea is especially helpful for busy families who still want to promote healthy habits and eating. “In less than two hours, you will prepare 10, 20 or 40 meals to take home. My team of dietitians and I develop all the recipes, which use healthy, fresh ingredients. We can even accommodate allergies and special dietary needs, like gluten-free meals or specialized cardiac diets,” says Rockwood. Her business is growing rapidly with 14 locations from Rexburg, ID to St. George. “We have over 20 dietitians on staff, and each city has at least one dedicated dietitian, if not more,” she says. Her dedication to healthy, easy eating resonates well with mothers, like herself. “I’ve definitely created a brand for women in my stage of life--moms who are tired and busy, but they still want to do what’s best for their families.” And now, Citrus Pear is opening two more locations in the near future in Pleasant Grove and Spanish Fork.
Based in Smithfield, Utah help@citruspeardinners.com citruspeardinners.com
Q&A Q. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN THE SALT LAKE/PARK CITY COMMUNITIES? “These communities make health and healthy eating a priority, but they’re busy. Trying to meal prep on top of everything else can be difficult.This will help them find the time to do it all.” Q. HOW DID YOU GET IT STARTED? “We started with the best tools we could afford and a lot of hard work. I grocery shopped every day of the week and spent 9 hours trimming, weighing, and portioning meat for each class. I relied heavily on my husband, mom, and friends to help prepare for and teach all the classes.” Q. DREAM GOAL? “Every dietitian’s dream is to give their patients healthy food that they enjoy. As long as we continue on this path, that’s all I can ask for!
Year company was founded
2016
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Tami Steggell
FOUNDER CEO, RUBYSNAP FRESH COOKIES
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cherished Utah experience for the past decade, RubySnap is an exceptional cookie bakery famous for using fresh ingredients, pure chocolates, clean nut butters, seasonal produce, vanilla beans handpicked at the plantation, real butter and rich creams, all of which are carefully curated from various farms, fruit orchards and well-researched suppliers. Every small batch is hand-prepared to Ruby’s specifications and baked fresh daily. Previously a commercial designer of hospitals, clinics, colleges and universities, Founder and CEO Tami Steggell turned her love of quality food into a full-time pursuit. “I care about quality, and I care about my relationships. This translates in the way our recipes are developed with the ‘No Yucky Stuff’ policy,” says Steggell. “All this leads to amazing flavor because nothing is masked by artificial ingredients. Real butter, pure cane sugar, fresh farm eggs—all goodness.” Formerly an avid cyclist who created treats worthy of her free eating days, Tami gathered all those recipes together and took them to the streets to see how the public would respond, and they absolutely loved it. “We just opened two new stores in Las Vegas, and we are loving the people and the culture,” she says. “We have stores forthcoming in Jackson Hole and Park City. Our plan is to thoughtfully grow and spread the love and have the world get to know RubySnap.”
770 S. 300 W. Salt Lake City, UT 801-834-6111 HeyRuby@RubySnap.com www.RubySnap.com
Year company was founded
2008
Q&A Q. BIGGEST CHALLENGE? “I feel better answering this question as the point of greatest importance, and that is maintaining integrity and standards as the company scales upward, therefore we place great care in finding the very best employees to build our story. I love being very personal and one-on-one with every employee and customer.” Q. WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR PROFESSIONAL INSPIRATION? “My goal is to take cookies to the next level by never creating a ‘lookalike’ cookie. I use my life experiences from traveling to influence recipe development. Even our classic options have a twist; we are soon introducing an horchata inspired ‘snickerdudette’ cookie to emulate the classic cookie, yet present the flavor verve we’ve become known for.”
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Jennifer Carleton OWNER, MOUNTAIN WEST HARD CIDER
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ennifer Carleton runs the first and only dedicated hard cider company in the state of Utah, and she chose this industry out of a personal love for the beverage itself. “We were in Ireland and fell in love with hard cider, but we came back and didn’t have a whole lot of options in Utah,” says Carleton. “We saw an opportunity in the market and kind of jumped on it.”
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Q. WHAT’S NEW? “We came to market in 500 mL bottles, but most of our clientele are outdoor enthusiasts. So we’re adding cans to our line in two of our products: Ruby and Cottonwood. The ciders will still be available in bottles, but now our clientele can also take cans on the go.”
Mountain West Hard Cider is not a mass product—they are a small craft provider specializing in all dry ciders: no extra sugars or added sweeteners here. And while their production methods are common across Europe, Carleton makes sure to keep their process as local as they possibly can. “Part of our goal is to help support local vendors and farmers. Currently, we use apples from Santaquin,” she says.
Q. BIGGEST CHALLENGE? “Ingredients to supply. We have a hard time keeping up with demand in the state. Keeping up with demand and the fact that our juice supply is limited. We’re finding creative ways to expand on that and find additional partners and vendors.”
Carleton is proud to keep this a Utah company and uses every opportunity she can to give back to the community that she believes has given her so much. Mountain West Hard Cider partners with local groups, like the Utah Pride Center, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance and Green Urban Lunchbox, donating a portion of their proceeds to support those in and around their home.
Q. HOW DOES YOUR PERSONALITY INFLUENCE YOUR BUSINESS? “I love a good time out with friends and my husband. I think, in this industry, you really need to be a social networker, which I’ve always been very good at. I’m outgoing. I’m easy to work with. There’s a culture that we’re trying to develop, and I think cultural fit is most important when we’re hiring new candidates or associates.”
Carleton is using her creativity to put Mountain West Hard Cider on the map and make it the premier hard cider of the mountain west region.
425 N 400 W, Salt Lake City, UT 801-935-4147 info@mountainwestcider.com mountainwestcider.com
Year company was founded
2014
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andi Hendry didn’t initially set out to open a wildly successful blanket business. “My daughter was in the hospital for five months. She needed extra comfort when visitors were not there and wanted a cozy, soft and fashionable blanket. I couldn’t find a good one for adults, so I just went and purchased some Minky fabric and had a large one made for her. Everybody at the hospital wanted one—I made 20 and gave them away. Then 50 and gave those away,” she remembers. Finally, her husband said she should just start selling them if she was going to make them in those quantities. Thus, Minky Couture, proprietor of luxurious, custom blankets, was born. Even with Minky growing by leaps and bounds with five locations from Ogden to St. George, Hendry is intent on keeping her operations as local as possible. “We get about 500 rolls of Minky fabric a week, cut it in-house at our Layton warehouse and about 40-45 local seamstresses pick up the fabric and manufacture the blankets in their homes,” says Hendry. “We have training for them, so they’re all uniform. It’s been great for the local economy and community because we have a lot of stay-at-home moms who can work without needing daycare.” And she’s intent on using her business to give as much back to the community as she can, even donating an incredible number of blankets to local NICUs for premature babies. “Whenever we sell a large blanket, we donate a mini blanket that fits inside the newborn isolette. We deliver 500-1000 mini blankets to NICUs throughout the state and, now, out of state as well,” she says. “We get letters from moms who have received our minis in the NICU units, and it makes a difference to the mom and the baby.” While the minis are the smallest available blankets, the cozy covers come in infant, tween, travel, adult, monster and now the 7-foot grande.
1782 Woodland Park Dr Layton, UT 8404 801-682-8422 info@minkycouture.com softminkyblankets.com
Sandi Hendry OWNER/FOUNDER, MIN KY COUTURE
Year company was founded
2009
Q&A Q. WHAT’S NEW? “We are going to introduce new Minky robes for Christmas. They’re going to be fabulous, and we worked on the prototype to make them just the right fit, so they’re roomy but fitted. We’ll have six colors of women’s Minky robes in time for Christmas.” Q. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT IN THE SALT LAKE/PARK CITY COMMUNITY? “The community gets excited because they know it’s a Utah based company. Now, we sell hundreds of thousands of blankets. I’m proud of the accomplishment, and we collaborate with our Minky employees once a week to get new ideas. We’ve been innovating in our designs diversifying out marketing. Ultimately, a blanket is a household staple, so it can be used for an infant up to the elderly. And these are kind of a treasure when people get them. They’re luxurious and washable.” Q. BEST ADVICE? “If you believe in your product and you are committed to growing your business and building it, stick to it. And get advice from others. Work with people in different age groups so you can get ideas from people who think differently and then give them the credit—I believe that people deserve to be praised.
196 E Winchester St, Murray, UT 84107
(385) 388-4353
www.diamondsdirect.com
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