|
HomeAbout UsSee our ProductsServing IdeasPrice ListNutritionWhat's New FaqsCustom LabelingLinksShowsRetail OutletsSalesWineriesAbout Us Lone Willow and the Stacey family are located in Ladner, B.C., a small fishing, farming community 30 minutes south of Vancouver. The family live in a floating home on the Fraser River delta. Our products are prepared out of a floating kitchen called "The Grape", located across the dock from the house.
Lone Willow started as a simple Christmas present in 1991. Ric, heavy-duty mechanic by trade, has been an award winning amateur winemaker since the mid-seventies. He decided to make jelly, inspired from one his many books in his wine library. After rave reviews from the family and friends who received this Christmas gift, he was encouraged to sell this fabulous product. So, he packed up about 50 jars and headed to the local elementary school craft fair.
After a few well received years at small craft fairs, Ric and his wife Shelagh decided to "step it up" and went to a four day show in Victoria. They proceeded to sell out of everything by mid-afternoon on the last day. As their retail business grew so did their wholesale business. Ric has been attending wholesale gift shows in Vancouver and Edmonton for the past 10 years. They now have over 100 stores carrying the product. Not bad for a small family business!
As for employees, it doesn't get much more "Mom n' Pop". Ric and his wife Shelagh are the sole proprietors and their employees are their two daughters, Mary, 16 and Sarah, 27. Sarah is now the sales and marketing manager at Lone Willow and is coming to the table with all sorts of ideas her Dad is not quite ready for.
As you can see, Ric is Lone Willow and Lone Willow is Ric. He is the winemaker, jelly maker, box maker and general producer. The rest of the family can do most jobs when life gets too busy and the "one-man-show" can't keep up. The family helps mostly with the retail shows that happen in the fall. Please check the 2008 Shows page for upcoming fairs in your area.
"Growing up on a house boat was awesome, I never lived on land until I moved out at 19" says Sarah, daughter of Ric and Shelagh Stacey. She now resides in Chilliwack with her husband, Maurice and their daughter Anabel, 2.
The front deck is more than a deck, it's a haven!
HomeAbout UsSee our ProductsServing IdeasPrice ListNutritionWhat's New FaqsCustom LabelingLinksShowsRetail OutletsSalesWineries
|
