Weekly Newsletter for October 22, 2008

ROTARY INFORMER for October 22, 2008 Sunny after a frosty start!!!

President Bob greeted a nice group and called on Jim Wibby for the 4 way test. We sang America the Beautiful and Bob Brummeler gave an invocation.

No visiting Rotarians. Guests of members were Melba Woodruff, Molly, Steven Wojokowski, Tina, Kristal Shemansky and the Wood family, Dave and Connie, Tim and Caroline Strauss, son David and Daves parents Don and Jackie Wood.

Angela and Kendall led as we sang RO-T-A-R-Y and Smile.

PDG Chris came up and reminded us of her Polio immunization trip to India. She then introduced Dave Wood who introduced his dad Don and presented him with a Paul Harris Fellow. He did a very nice presentation and Don received a standing ovation from the club. It was also Daves birthday so we sang Happy Birthday.

President Bob showed us an insert from the Petoskey News Review about an award of excellence they had received. He also mentioned that Kevin Christman had been the successful bidder on a huge bouquet of roses. We all wondered what he had done. Bob Taggett, historian/concierge at the Grand Hotel will be the program next week. Don’t miss it!!!$

Tom Erhart introduced the presenter today. Don McCarty, owner of Kilwins told us a bit about the history and about current operations. Don started at the Kilwins store on Mackinaw Island in 1979. They presently have 69 stores in 12 states. They buy 230,000 pounds of chocolate annually. They have 42 full-time employees and about 300 in the franchise stores all over the United States. 37 of the full-time employees are in Michigan. They do exit surveys of customers and found that 27% of people who walk by a store come in. Their primary production facility is on Division Rd in Petoskey and they ship in their own refrigerated trucks. Ice cream has become almost 50% of their sales and they ship the equivalent of 57 semis of ice cream each year. Don told us that 80% of their business comes from 40 items and that includes 8 flavors of ice cream. Many of us were treated to a tour of the production facility on Division. All of their chocolates are hand-made. The #1 selling product is their “turtles”.