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Business is Sweet for Octogenarian When Mary Smith and her family decided she needed something to "keep her busy" she considered a model she saw on TV where a third generation was making pizzas in a thriving business that their grandfather had created.
Mary's jam making skills are legendary and, with prodding from her family, she finally decided to take her "Gram’s Jams" to market! Mary contacted the Small Business Development Center in Eugene and was referred to the Small Business Development Center & Commercial Kitchen / Business Incubator facility in The Dalles, because there was no food processing center in Eugene.
Via telephone and email, Mary Smith got free advice on labeling, packaging, and pricing from Mary Merrill, at the SBDC in The Dalles, and her project was off and running.
From there Mary Smith was able to get her business registered, and to present her jam product to the Market of Choice.
Mary's product line is now available in the butter section or refrigerated bread section of the four Market of Choice stores in Eugene. Flavors include strawberry, grape, apple butter and soon peach, with strawberry being the mouth watering flagship. She continues to receive business support from the Eugene SBDC.
She recently commented, "Without the help of the Small Business Development Centers and my family and friends, I couldn't have done this. The instruction, guidance and encouragement from all has been very helpful. Gram’s Jams is possibly the only fresh, preservative free and all natural jam on the market, which is why it’s in the refrigerated section. Don’t worry about it spoiling; it’ll be gone long before that ever happens."
As a little girl, Mary lived in “Rag Town” the tent city where the workers that built Hoover Dam lived prior to the development of Boulder City. When she was only 8 years old, her father was killed in a construction accident while working on the dam.
In her young adult years she was the High School Prom Queen in Boulder City and a Rose Parade Pageant finalist in Pasadena, California. Mary has lived in Eugene OR since 1961.
Mary has always been interested in owning and operating small businesses. She owned and operated a dress shop, and directed fashion shows in Boulder City. She wrote fashion articles for newspapers and owned a fashion consulting business, the KLM Institute.
In the 1980s she was a Director of the Mrs. Oregon America Pageant in Eugene and the national competitions in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mary has done many things in her life, but she is most proud of her family. She’s worked hard to create Gram’s Jams so that she can pass this business legacy on to her six children, 14 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Her customers often provide great feedback about her products, such as; "Your jam is soooo good I eat it by the spoonful" and from Adam, the 5 year old, "I want some toast with some of that red stuff on it".
To contact Mary about her jam products, you can email her at gramsjams@yahoo.com .
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| One of many Success Stories. |
