Vital Earth Minerals

Long time SBDC client, Jody Ahrens, is no stranger to starting and running a successful small business. Jody was an attendee at the first Leading Edge course offered by the Grand Junction SBDC in 1986. She attributes the success of her first business, Evergreen Productions, to the knowledge she gained in that class. She learned the basics of starting and running a business and the proper way to keep books and do the day to day accounting.

With this knowledge in hand, and a passion to help people find natural methods to cure their ailments, she set out to start a new business in 2000; Vital Earth Minerals. Given her past relationship with the Small Business Development Center, Jody knew the SBDC would once again be key in the success of the business. She started out in a rental space for a year, but after talking to Business Incubator Center staff, decided the type of commercial space offered at BIC was well suited to her needs with the added benefit of a variable rent schedule. Vital Earth Minerals stayed at the Business Incubator Center for six years, and continued to take advantage of the many class and networking opportunities offered through the SBDC and BIC. Partner and Daughter, R. Lee Ahrens, says that the SBDC taught them how to run a business the right way. “Having access to so many mentors was priceless.”

Vital Earth Minerals has been in business for 15 years and is continuing to grow. The team recently attended the Anaheim Natural Food and Supplement Expo, which is the largest of its type in the US for wholesale and distribution. The NFSE expo was hugely beneficial and information and contacts made has allowed business to increase exponentially. The team also had a chance recently to present to Fresh Vitamins, a vitamin and mineral store. This meeting led to Vital Earth Minerals now being offered in 35 Fresh Vitamins stores throughout the United States. With so much growth, the company is currently looking for new warehouse space, as they are quickly outgrowing their current 2,000 square foot warehouse.

R. Lee’s advice for a future entrepreneur is to “take full advantage of everything the SBDC has to offer; if they are offering it, it will be helpful. We continue to take advantage of the SBDC resources.”

Frame Depot

The Frame Depot was opened in 1986 by Randy Bogart. The business was originally housed with its companion business, Art Depot, which was owned by Randy’s brother, Jack. In 1996, the business moved to a new location with a street that was yet to be named. Since two other family members also had businesses on the street, it only seemed natural to name it Bogart Lane. The new building housed both Depots, but after Jack

Read More »
Western Colorado Specialty Pharmacy

What’s a person to do if premanufactured pharmaceuticals just don’t work for you or your pet?  That’s what many people with specific allergies (fillers, dyes, etc), finicky kids/pets, or folks in need of a specific non-traditional dosage of a medication were left to ask until now in Grand Junction, CO.  Karen Floyd has been a pharmacist for over 30 years and has seen an increasing need for the services compounding pharmacies provide.  In 2006 alone,

Read More »
Kannah Creek Brewery

For Jim Jeffryes, brewing beer had always been a source of refuge from his stressful job in technology. That is, until 1998 when he decided to jump into brewing beer full time. Although Jim had brewed beer recreationally, he had never done it in the quantities he was going to need to support a brewery, so after purchasing land on 9th & Struthers in Grand Junction, he enrolled in beer school and took Leading Edge

Read More »
Skip to content