While Ken Smith was teaching history at Wheaton-Warrenville High School 11 years ago, he spent a summer working retail at Yellowstone National Park -- a decision that started his path to becoming an entrepreneur.
Today, Smith's business, Wildlife Cookie Company, sells more than 350,000 boxes of cookies annually, at national parks, zoos and aquariums across the United States.
(Marina Makropoulos/Staff Photographer)
"I think it was more destiny, or fate," the St. Charles man said of the moment he had the idea to create his business. During one of Old Faithful's eruptions, the store emptied as customers left to watch the geyser.
"I looked across the empty room and saw a box of circus cookies, and I thought, 'It would make so much more sense for someone to create cookies of wildlife animals that are actually at the park -- prairie dogs, big horned sheep, elk -- and put it in a souvenir box.'"
Two years later, Smith, a 1989 graduate of St. Charles East High School, was that person.
"I talked to my mom about my idea, and I did some research, and a year later I designed my first box, had it made up with some sample cookies and went to every national park over the summer and talked to concessionaires to gauge the interest," Smith said.
He drove more than 12,000 miles that summer.
"It was very positive, very encouraging. I met with some of the park people and they were all very enthusiastic about it. A lot of them couldn't believe they hadn't thought of it," Smith said.
He taught for two more years and then poured his life savings of $75,000 in the cookie business. He and his mom, Donelda Smith, adjusted her animal cookie recipe, and while the baking is all outsourced, no artificial colorings or preservatives are used, Smith said. The product has a shelf life of one year, and is sold at parks such as Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Mt. Rushmore and Mt. Rainier. Each box contains about 20 cookies and sells retail for $1 to $3, depending on the store.
In addition to Donelda, who is now account manager, other family members, including Smith's niece Heather Boyd, nephew Bill Boyd, and brother Chuck, also work for the company.
In his first year, he landed about 300 accounts, and later created a zoo product line.
"I have about 40 zoos, including Brookfield, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Philadelphia," Smith said.
"And then I created my ocean life line, which sells at Shedd Aquarium, as well as aquariums in Seattle, Baltimore, South Carolina and New England."
Some of the proceeds from the sales benefit national park foundations and wildlife preservation organizations.
The cookies are also sold in more than 200 grocery stores nationwide, including Blue Goose Market in St. Charles.
Smith said the local sales offer a unique opportunity -- he can actually see his cookies leave the shelves.
"Since most of my accounts originally were out west, I had never seen my products on the shelf, so after Blue Goose became an account, I had a floor display there, and one night I was standing there checking out the display and a shopper came by and put a box in her cart," Smith said. "That was actually one of my coolest experiences. I've had so many."
For more information, visit www.wildlifecookie.com.