Maisie Jane’s
Challenge
What started as a 1999 high school FFA project has expanded to a full-time retail and shipping business that employs 4 full-time and 6 part-time workers. Maisie Jane’s offers natural and organic flavored nuts and other locally grown food products.
Maisie Jane’s has succeeded in business due to an emphasis on personal conduct and how they treat their employees. They make a conscious effort to create a family atmosphere in the place of business. Both Maisie Jane and her husband, Isidro, are hardworking and dedicated. Both spend all day in the retail store and their evenings working in the orchard. Isidro Hurtado knows their dedication and hard work are key to Maisie Jane’s success.
Solution
When it came time to expand the business, the Hurtados found Tri-County EDC offered the same customer service enjoyed by Maisie Jane’s customers. The Hurtados credit their cousin, a local city councilman, with putting them in contact with Tri-County EDC. Tri-County EDC offered two loans for property and equipment.
Results
This partnership has allowed Maisie Jane’s to hire more people, which helped their operation run smoother. Without Tri-County EDC, Maisie Jane’s would definitely still be in business. However, the Hurtados credit the financial assistance they received with advancing their business to another level. It allowed them to do in one year what most do in three, saving a lot of time and frustration along the way.
“We enjoy working with Tri-County EDC,” Hurtado said. “We can pick up the phone, call them and they always listen to what we have to say. They even meet with me on a one-on-one basis when needed.”
They are planning to expand the varieties of nuts and dried fruit products offered, while eventually acquiring additional company owned orchards. Owning more orchards would allow them to become less dependent on current market prices.