Black Hills entrepreneurs turn homemade products into thriving businesses

By Lynn Taylor Rick, Journal staff | Sunday, March 11, 2007

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When Mitch and Lisa Irion decided to keep bees in 2000, neither knew a thing about the beekeeping business.

But with lots of reading and trial-and-error, the Spearfish couple built Black Hills Honey Farms, a business that produces honey and all-natural lip balms and recently expanded into lotions and salves.

While major manufacturers use massive machines to package and produce their products, Lisa individually pours and labels the lip balms and mixes and packages her lotions and salves. It’s labor intensive, but Lisa said she loves producing something unique and natural. She also loves the flexibility of the work, which allows her to be home when her kids come home from school each day.

The Irions are only two of a growing number of Black Hills entrepreneurs who have turned their homegrown passions into retail businesses.

Gary Dowling created Dakota Distributing two years ago to meet the needs of local vendors such as the Irions. The company now represents about 30 vendors and 200 products.

“And it’s growing every day. That’s the fun part of it,” Kris Mattson of Dakota Distributing said.

Dakota Distributing helps local vendors package and market their wares, both statewide and nationwide.

Dowling sells the homegrown products in stores throughout the Black Hills and in his Rapid City store, Dakota’s Best, in the Radisson Hotel. Open for four years, Dakota’s Best is now crammed full of such diverse products as wine, popcorn, mustard, ice cream and buffalo meat.

Dakota Distributing also sells products at Albertsons and Don’s Valley Market grocery stores in Rapid City. Dowling hopes to expand into Safeway stores soon.

One of the many products that Dowling distributes is Honacker Mustard, produced by Rapid City businessman Gary Davis.

In fact, Honacker Mustard has become one of the most popular products at Dakota’s Best.

Davis was working as a bartender and house painter 10 years ago when he began helping a buddy make mustards. The pair produced various flavors and sold them at sports shows with much success.

When his friend decided to give up mustard making seven years ago, Davis proceeded on his own.

Two years ago, he bought a deli on Jackson Boulevard with the purpose of taking his mustards public. He uses the commercial kitchen to feed his deli customers, but also to create his unique mustards, jellies and salsas.

Davis’ most popular mustard contains horseradish, but another big seller contains cranberries.

Davis, who also offers a catering service, laughs that he’s now known around town as the mustard man.

Dowling said locally-produced products grossed hundreds of thousands of dollars last year, and he expects to double it this year.

“People are coming to us,” he said. “They want the products. Word is getting out and it’s really growing.”

After seven years in the beekeeping business, the Irions have built a following. They sell their honey products as far away as Alaska and throughout South Dakota.

Though the drought has meant sending the bees to California and Washington for pollination this year, the Irions are not discouraged.

After working for years at Homestake Mine, Mitch is thrilled to be working in the sunshine, and the couple loves the freedom of owning their own business, Lisa said.

Lisa loves that she produces a natural product, which sets their business apart and hopefully will enable it to continue to grow.

That kind of satisfaction from producers spurs Dowling forward.

“To enable these people to bring their products to market … it’s rewarding,” he said.

As for finding customers, that’s been surprisingly simple, Dowling said. South Dakota consumers like to support local products, and they like the locally-produced products.

“It’s the easiest sell in the world,” he said.

Lynn Taylor Rick is a Journal staff writer. Contact her at 394-8414 or lynn.taylorrick@rapidcityjournal.com