Renovations to Anaheim Stadium began Oct. 1, 1996, reverting the 30-year
old structure back to a baseball-only facility. On Sept. 15, 1997, the
renovated stadium's new name was announced: Edison International Field
of Anaheim. On Dec. 29, 2003, the Angels announced the stadium would be
renamed Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Total cost for the stadium renovation
was estimated at $100 million and the project was completed in time for the Anaheim Angels Opening Day, April 1, 1998.

Anaheim Stadium had been the home of the Angels since their move from Los
Angeles following the 1965 season. The stadium opened April 9, 1966, as the California Angels hosted the San Francisco Giants in an exhibition
game. The franchise's first American League game was April 19, 1966 vs. the Chicago White Sox. The Los Angeles Angels played at Wrigley Field in 1961 and Chavez Ravine from 1962-65.

The original Anaheim Stadium seated 43,204 (later 43,250). The stadium
underwent construction in 1979-80 for additional seating to accommodate the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. Upon completion in 1981, the stadium seated 65,158 (later 64,593) for baseball. The Rams left Anaheim for St. Louis, MO in 1995. The new Angel Stadium of Anaheim has a seating capacity of approximately 45,050 for the Anaheim Angels.

Other unique features of the new Angel Stadium of Anaheim include terraced
bullpens in the outfield, widened concourses, new restroom and concession areas, a spacious and modernized press box and broadcast booths, family-oriented seating sections, state-of-the-art club-level and dugout-level suites, the Pepsi Perfect Game Pavilion (a youth-oriented interactive game area) and landscaped courtyards (with statues in remembrance of Gene Autry and Michelle Carew).

In addition, the new Angel Stadium of Anaheim includes three full-service
restaurants: The KnotHole Club (a sports bar located at the club level
down the right field line); The Diamond Club (an upscale restaurant
with outdoor seating on the field level behind home plate); and the
Homeplate Club (an indoor restaurant on the club level overlooking the main entrance to the ballpark).

The following organizations were involved in implementing the
transition of Anaheim Stadium into Angel Stadium of Anaheim: Walt Disney
Imagineering, which served as the manager of the design and construction
of Angel Stadium of Anaheim; HOK Sports Facilities Group and Robert
A.M. Stern Architects, which were responsible for the architectural
planning, design and renovation; and Turner Construction, which directed
and provided construction services.

The brewing of quality beer is the story told in our Northern California home at the gateway to the Napa Valley.

At the beginning of the tour, we'll explain the wonders of our natural brewing process while you enjoy complimentary tastings of our fine beers. You will visit the beechwood aging cellar and the production floor, where high-speed packaging lines fill thousands of cans and bottles every minute.

Visit our Gift Shop and browse through an extensive selection of fun, distinctive logoed merchandise.

A Players' Eye View of Baseball's Perfect Address

It's the ballpark where home runs can be "splash hits." Where the breathtaking Bay views rival the action on the field. Where one of baseball's most hallowed franchises plays inside an architectural landmark. On your behind-the-scenes ballpark tour of sensational AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants, you will get to go places only the players and staff go including:

The Field Warning Track
The Dugouts
Indoor Batting Cages
The Visitors' Clubhouse
The Press Box
A Luxury Suite
Ballpark Features and Views

Come experience a truly one-on-one tour of a working custom furniture factory. Unique Sofas of America is the sole supplier for BuildASofa.com a custom sofa and sectional retailer with showrooms in California and Texas.

Located along the Moreau River, Burgers' Smokehouse is 3 miles south of California, Missouri on a farm off Highway 87. Just follow the signs.

Each year thousand of folks stop by our visitor's center and take a Smokehouse tour.

With the help of artist Terry Chase and his assistant, George Baldwin, the visitors center features dioramas that depict the seasons of the year. Other exhibits display ingredients, pictures, and artifacts that explain the art of meat curing.

As you enter the Visitor's Center over a covered bridge, windows on the left open to a Spring diorama scene while the other windows on the right overlook a Winter scene. Water runs under the bridge and through the dioramas continuously.

After exiting the bridge, you enter a Fall setting depicting a farmyard that features a handmade waterwheel. Slim (our little hillbilly boy) sits in the hayloft to welcome you to the Smokehouse.

You proceed around the next corner and there is Missouri in the Summertime. Wild turkey, deer, squirrel, and an assortment of wildlife as it appears in the Missouri Ozarks, are a part of this large diorama. From the bottom of the pool, up the cliffs to the sky is 2 1/2 stories high, making it one of the largest dioramas in the United States. Painting with a small brush on such a large canvas required a great deal of time, talent, and patience. The Summertime Diorama is, indeed, impressive.

As you proceed down the hall to the Smokehouse reception desk, on your left you will notice a miniature replica depicting the old covered bridge that used to cross the Moreau River, located a few hundred yards south of the Smokehouse.

When you enter our sales room, tell our receptionist you would like to see our video tour. The salesperson will seat you in our theatre and start the video.

After the video tour you will be given samples of some of our products. Perhaps you will want to drop by our sandwich bar for a Smokehouse sandwich.

As you drive down the lane from the Smokehouse, we hope that you will feel that the time you have spent at BURGERS' SMOKEHOUSE was both enjoyable and informational.

Nestled amongst the rolling hills and lush pastures of central Wisconsin, Carr Valley cheese remains one of Wisconsin?s traditional cheese plants, famous for its cheddar varieties made the old-fashioned way. Owned and operated by the Cook family, Carr Valley will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year.

While tourists, and locals alike, flock to stores in Sauk City, Mauston and La Valle for cheese curds and aged cheddar blocks, what sets the business apart are the specialty cheeses created and produced by Sid Cook.

?The general trend in cheese making is bigger, but here at Carr Valley we have just become more specialized...the cheeses and styles are those others aren?t making,? Sid says with pride.

Sid, certified as a Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, has concocted not quite a dozen of the 30 cheeses he makes. ?I call them designer cheeses. I designed them and invented them and named them. No one?s making them but me,? Sid says.

A specialty cheese is value-added being made from one or more unique qualities. The Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Institute says that qualities such as exotic origin, processing, design, limited supply extraordinary package or channel of sale can all qualify a cheese as ?specialty.? What remains constant with every specialty cheese is the immense quality of the product.

And, in today?s market-place, consumers seem willing and ready for quality. Many of Sid?s cheeses are small-batch mixed-milk cheeses, meaning they consist of cow?s milk and also sheep and/or goat milk. A cheese of this composition with its unique flavor profile can bring upwards of $8 to $10 per pound.

?Canaria is a mixed-milk cheese...We cure it in olive oil. The cheese is generally about a year old when we begin to sell it. It?s just very lovely.? Sid says the product has an earthy, sweet flavor and a texture similar to that of Parmesan.

Many of Carr Valley?s specialty cheeses are sold to upscale restaurants in Chicago and specialty food stores nationwide with help of a California distributor. Not to fear, Sid?s cheeses can also be found at the plant?s Wisconsin locations.

Sid relates creating a new cheese to cooking. ?You think about what you want to achieve, assess the variables and start mixing.? The cultures, species of milk, coagulants, other ingredients, cook temperatures, how you handle it, whether it?s pressed or allowed to rest, actual curing, temperature, bacteria ? all provide Sid with the opportunity to alter the flavor. ?If you don?t like the cheese a certain way, you can change it,? he says matter of factly.

But he contends that Wisconsin is the place for making specialty cheeses. ?We have the right forages here in Wisconsin for making good cheeses. We can do what other states can?t, as you can?t make the same flavor profiles elsewhere,? Sid explains. He continues by explaining that the weather, soils, forages and use of clover all make a difference in the milk flavor.

Sid?s isn?t the only one interested in specialty cheeses. According to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board there are more specialty cheeses than ever. More than 11 percent, or 234 million pounds, of the total cheeses produced in Wisconsin during 2001 were classified as ?specialty.? According to the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service, 2001?s production is an increase of 6 percent from the previous year.

Cheesemaking has been a way of life for this fourth-generation cheesemaker. ?From the time I was real little I can remember being in the plant. My first job was to pick up can lids and keep the cans moving...I remember standing on a 5-gallon pail to stir the corners of the vats and even riding my tricycle around the vats,? Sid reminisces.

He continued working at the plant, earning this cheesemaker?s license at 16. After graduating from UW-Platteville, Sid planned to attend law school but wasn?t accepted on his first try. It was then that destiny intervened; Sid spent the year adjusting to married life and working as a cheesemaker. ? I liked it; I liked the life and what I was doing. I saw a lot of opportunity in the business,? Sid says.

Tulane University invited him to join its law program the following fall but Sid decided to pursue a career closer to home in the cheese business, and says he has never regretted the decision. It even appears that Sid?s son, Sam, may continue in the family business. A recent high school graduate, Sam has his cheesemaker?s license and has taken courses at UW-Madison to improve his technique.

It remains that old-fashioned cheddar made the family way is still one of Sid?s favorites. Why cheddar? ?Because you can enjoy the fresh, squeaky curds all the way through to the 5-year-old mature cheeses,? Sid says.

Carr Valley?s 23-pound daisy wheels are nationally known for their quality ? a quality that starts with milk produced by ?cows with names,? says Sid. Milk for the plant comes from local dairy producers, of which some have been shipping to the plant for 20 to 30 years.

Before entering the plant, the milk is pasteurized and filtered. Once in the cheese vat, the milk is held at 90 degrees. As the vat fills with milk a culture is added that produces a lactic acid to ripen the fresh milk. This begins turning the milk into cheese.

During these first steps, the cheesemakers add coloring to some cheese styles, Cheddar being one.

Once the milk has ripened, an enzyme is added to coagulate the milk. The coagulant turns the liquid milk into a jelly-like substance, aided by no longer stirring the product. After the cheese firms, large wire cutters are pushed by cheesemakers to cut the vat into thirds. At this time, the vat temperature is raised to 100 degrees to ?cook? the cheese for 30 minutes. ?Cooking? separates the curds from the whey. Some whey is drawn off the vat and goes to a cream separator before being stored. The cream is used in cream/whey butter. The separated whey ingredient is used in making breads and candy bars.

The curd firms as the whey is drained. The curd is hand cut into slabs which are then stacked and pressed together in a process known as ?cheddaring.? This helps the excess moisture drain and prepares the product for its transformation to cheese.

Once at the proper acidic level, approximately 60 minutes later, the slabs are milled ? shredding the large blocks into bit-sized morsels. Then the curds are salted to preserve the cheese and slow the active cheese culture.

Curds are then formed into 23-pound daisy wheels. These wheels are pressed for thwo to three hours before removing the form. The golden wheels are dried before being coated with wax.

The wax coating seals the cheese from air and mold. The finished wheels are then aged for as little as one week all the way to five years.

Sid produces Fontina and cheddar, both of which he is certified as a master cheesemaker, along with specialty products such as Canaria, Menage, Benedicine, Mobay and Marisa, named for his daughter.

At the La Valle plant, cheddar is made six days a week; the plant is closed on Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year?s Day. Besides the large selection of cheeses, the La Valle location offers plenty of free samples, and a conglomeration of Wisconsin products such as wild rice, ginseng, syrups, honey and pancake mix. The quaint store even includes viewing windows, with 8 a.m.-noon being the best time to observe the cheesemaking process.

Since 1962, the beauty of Dodger Stadium has awed spectators with a breath-taking view of downtown Los Angeles to the south; green, tree-lined Elysian hills to the north and east; and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond. The 56,000-seat Dodger Stadium has parking for 16,000 automobiles on 21 terraced lots adjacent to the same elevations as the six different seating levels.

Dodger Stadium is one of Southern California's most treasured landmarks and the 2008 baseball season will mark the Dodgers 47th year at Chavez Ravine.

More than 125 million fans have visited the ballpark since it opened in 1962 awing spectators with a breathtaking view of downtown Los Angeles to the south; green, tree-lined Elysian hills to the north and east; and the San Gabriel Mountains beyond. The 56,000-seat Dodger Stadium has parking for 16,000 automobiles on 21 terraced lots adjacent to the same elevations as the six different seating levels. More than 3,400 trees cover the 300 acres of beautiful landscape, which is maintained by a full-time staff of gardeners. The Dodgers employ a full-time grounds crew and maintenance staff that keeps all aspects of the stadium in immaculate condition throughout the season making Dodger Stadium one of the best maintained facilities in the country.

The Dodgers installed a brand new state-of-the-art grass field after the conclusion of the 1995 season. Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT), created and installed by the Cincinnati-based Motz Group, used the latest agronomic and engineering technology to manage field moisture through controlled drainage and irrigation. The 100,000 square feet of bermuda grass is grown on pure sand, beneath which a vacuum chamber is laid over a water-tight plastic barrier that forcibly extracts water during heavy rains. New moisture gauges monitor the field's water level in coordination with a microprocessor that controls drainage functions. A computer controller has the ability to reverse the scenario and subirrigate when the sand's moisture reading drops below the optimal level.

Welcome to the Pacific Seafood Group, a family owned, vertically integrated seafood company based in the Western United States. The Pacific Group processes West Coast products from Alaska to Mexico and owns and operates distribution facilities and distributes in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. The Pacific Group exports products throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East and also imports products from many of these areas as well.

The Pacific Seafood Group began in 1941 by Frank M. Dulcich and his son Dominic Dulcich in Portland, Oregon, beginning from small retail counter and servicing discriminating customers at this same counter until this day. The business expanded to meet local distribution demands and as they say the rest is history. Beginning in 1977 an import department was established to meet local and extended customer needs. The distribution business continued to flourish over those years and brought the need for a consistent supply of high quality locally processed seafood that Pacific would develop by understanding their customer's needs.

In 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group expanded to processing with the purchase of our first plant in Warrenton, Oregon, Pacific Coast Seafood. The plant is located on the mouth of the majestic Columbia River, one of the most active fishing ports on the west coast. Processing of Dungeness Crab, Cold Water Shrimp, Groundfish and Salmon assisted tremendously to meet our customer's needs.

Since 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group has expanded all areas of their business with a strategy to grow distribution and to increase processing capabilities to meet the demands of not only our growing distribution customer base, but also meet the needs of our growing customer base throughout the US and the world.

Being the largest has never been the goal of the Pacific Seafood Group, but being the best is our goal. Operational Excellence is our business model to meet customer needs with top quality products and hassle free service. The expansion of distribution has always been coordinated with primary processing expansions to assure that our market base is guaranteed to meet growing customer demands with high quality products.

The expansion of Pacific has been swift over the past decade as new markets and processing facilities have opened up. Since 1983 Pacific Group has expanded from one processing and one distribution facility to nearly 20 operating units.

THE HISTORIC OLIVE HOUSE is home of world famous Graber Olives grown and produced by the Graber family since 1894. A rare delicacy has been created in Graber Olives: meaty, with a superb nutlike flavor. The natural full ripeness and flavor have been preserved by selecting and carefully processing only the fully tree-ripened fruit.

AN INVITATION TO VISIT..... Graber Olive House is located in a pleasant residential area north of Ontario's business district just minutes from the Ontario International Airport.

Here in quiet and serene surroundings, visitors are welcomed and delighted to discover a bit of early California!

BROWSING is encouraged in the shops which offer a variety of fancy foods, food accessories and unique gifts in addition to Graber Olives and other fine Graber products.

Because of the unique flavor and full golden appearance of the Graber Olive it has become a favorite hors d'oeuvre...the gourmet's delight! It is appropriate to any menu, perfect to serve on any occasion and is enjoyed by all. Because taste and appearance are different...and wonderful...they are a favorite gift...a unique treat for family and friends!

When a dozen California dairy farmers joined together to found Hilmar Cheese Company in 1984, they were enthusiastic because their Jersey cows were particularly good at producing high-protein milk, ideal for making cheese. The dairymen worked hard, the cows worked hard, and the cheesemakers worked hard as the business grew. Today, Hilmar Cheese Company products are known around the world for excellent quality, great taste and superior functionality. State of the art production facilities enable us to produce a variety of high quality cheese while meeting diverse customer specifications.

Our cheesemakers will explain how fresh milk is turned into tasty Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese in our "Cheese Theatre." Explore our interactive exhibits about agriculture, the dairy industry and cheesemaking. Meet "Buttercup," dress as a cheesemaker and "mix a meal" for a cow in our miniature mixer wagon. See modern technology package 500-pound barrels and 640-pound blocks of cheese!

At the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, you can experience the power of computer chips first hand, and the evolution of their development. Explore the pages of the site and interact with our Web movies to learn more about the museum and computer chips.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by the California Institute of Technology, is NASA's lead center for robotic exploration of the solar system. Our spacecraft have visited all the planets in our solar system except Pluto. JPL telescopes are observing distant galaxies in the universe to study how our solar system was formed. We also manage the worldwide Deep Space Network, which communicates with spacecraft and conducts scientific investigations from its complexes in California's Mojave Desert near Goldstone; near Madrid, Spain; and near Canberra, Australia. JPL cameras and sensors are aboard satellites circling Earth to study the ozone, oceans and other Earth sciences. To support our continued exploration, JPL is making advances in technology with new instruments and computer programs to help our spaceships travel further and our telescopes see farther than ever before.

If you own a pickup truck, you're halfway to a great RV.

Since 1965, Lance has been building America's favorite truck campers
- the most versatile RVs on the planet. Go anywhere, anytime - and do
anything - with a Lance.

Come see how the world's best-built campers are crafted in a
state-of-the-art, 141,000-square-foot facility in Southern
California's sunny Antelope Valley - about an hour northeast of Los
Angeles.

Founded in 1853 by Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss, Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO.) is one of the world's largest brand-name apparel marketers with sales in more than 100 countries. There is no other company with a comparable global presence in the jeans and casual pants markets. Our market-leading apparel products are sold under the Levi's® and Dockers® brands.

In 1873, Levi Strauss and Nevada tailor Jacob Davis patented the process of putting rivets in pants for strength, and the world's first jeans ? Levi's® jeans ? were born. Today, the Levi's® trademark is one of the most recognized in the world and is registered in more than 160 countries.

The company is privately held by descendants of the family of Levi Strauss. Shares of company stock are not publicly traded. Shares of Levi Strauss Japan K.K., the company's Japanese affiliate, are publicly traded in Japan.

The company employs a staff of approximately 12,400 people worldwide, including approximately 1,500 people at its San Francisco, California headquarters.

Levi Strauss & Co.marked its 150th anniversary with the opening of a Visitors Center, a permanent installation showcasing our history and business. The Levi Strauss & Co. Visitors Center features six museum-quality pavilions, each highlighting a different aspect of the company and its business.

Lucero Olive Oil, LLC is the result of four generations of farming and producing olives in Northern California. The rural community Corning, ?The Olive Capital,? has some of the oldest olive trees in California, and many of these century-old trees continue to flourish in the Lucero family groves. Dewey?s maternal grandfather, has been one of the foremost olive growers in Northern California (since 1946 ~ 62 years), owning his own nursery for over 27 years. He grew a majority of the olive trees now in production in Northern California. Over 37 years, Dewey?s paternal grandfather started producing small quantities of olive oil for his family and friends. His olive oil was so popular it would sell out in a matter of days. In 2004 Dewey took a leap of faith and started to develop a family label, pressed large quantities of oil and began to market and sell Lucero Olive Oil across California. Since then the Lucero?s have been growing and producing more and more top quality olive oil each year...the rest is history in the making..

As Nan McEvoy's personal chef, chef Gerald Gass presides over an open, light-filled workspace in the Country Kitchen. Here he gives a California twist to the timeless Mediterranean tradition of cooking with olive oil.

Once a jumble of dilapidated dairy barns and outbuildings, McEvoy Ranch today is a peaceful, beautiful compound of ranch houses, ponds and working barns that blend into the California landscape.

The McEvoy Ranch Frantoio (olive mill) houses what has been called "the maserati of olive oil mills;" the revolutionary Rapanelli mill from Italy. In addition to milling its own fruit, McEvoy Ranch also does custom milling for other olive growers.

NASA Ames Research Center is located at Moffett Field, California in the heart of "Silicon Valley". Ames was founded December 20, 1939 as an aircraft research laboratory by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and in 1958 became part of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Ames specializes in research geared toward creating new knowledge and new technologies that span the spectrum of NASA interests.

Three companies make up the Bechtel Nevada team: Bechtel Nevada Corporation; Johnson Controls Nevada, Inc.; and Lockheed Martin Nevada Technologies, Inc.

Bechtel Nevada manages operations at the Nevada Test Site and its related facilities and laboratories. Besides its work for DOE's Nevada Operations Office, Bechtel Nevada partners with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories on many projects. Bechtel Nevada also works on projects for other federal agencies such as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, NASA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy.

Bechtel Nevada is organized into four major Programs: Stockpile Stewardship, Environmental Management, National Security Response, and Counter Terrorism. Organizations interested in using the Nevada Test Site for projects should contact the programs directly.

More than half of Bechtel Nevada's employees work in the Las Vegas area or at the nearby Nevada Test Site. The company has satellite offices in Livermore, California (Livermore Operations) and Los Alamos, New Mexico (Los Alamos Operations) as well as the Special Technologies Laboratory in Santa Barbara, California. Bechtel Nevada also operates the Remote Sensing Laboratory in Nevada and its sister group located near Washington, D.C.

Your tour of the Nevada Test Site includes visits to:
Yucca Mountain Science Center
Control Point 1
Frenchman Flat
DOE Radioactive Waste Management Site
Bilby Crater
Housing that withstood the Apple II test in 1955
Sedan Crater

Welcome to the Pacific Seafood Group, a family owned, vertically integrated seafood company based in the Western United States. The Pacific Group processes West Coast products from Alaska to Mexico and owns and operates distribution facilities and distributes in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California, Nevada and Utah. The Pacific Group exports products throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East and also imports products from many of these areas as well.

The Pacific Seafood Group began in 1941 by Frank M. Dulcich and his son Dominic Dulcich in Portland, Oregon, beginning from small retail counter and servicing discriminating customers at this same counter until this day. The business expanded to meet local distribution demands and as they say the rest is history. Beginning in 1977 an import department was established to meet local and extended customer needs. The distribution business continued to flourish over those years and brought the need for a consistent supply of high quality locally processed seafood that Pacific would develop by understanding their customer's needs.

In 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group expanded to processing with the purchase of our first plant in Warrenton, Oregon, Pacific Coast Seafood. The plant is located on the mouth of the majestic Columbia River, one of the most active fishing ports on the west coast. Processing of Dungeness Crab, Cold Water Shrimp, Groundfish and Salmon assisted tremendously to meet our customer's needs.

Since 1983 the Pacific Seafood Group has expanded all areas of their business with a strategy to grow distribution and to increase processing capabilities to meet the demands of not only our growing distribution customer base, but also meet the needs of our growing customer base throughout the US and the world.

Being the largest has never been the goal of the Pacific Seafood Group, but being the best is our goal. Operational Excellence is our business model to meet customer needs with top quality products and hassle free service. The expansion of distribution has always been coordinated with primary processing expansions to assure that our market base is guaranteed to meet growing customer demands with high quality products.

The expansion of Pacific has been swift over the past decade as new markets and processing facilities have opened up. Since 1983 Pacific Group has expanded from one processing and one distribution facility to nearly 20 operating units.

Rhyne Clock Company has become a tourism attraction in Cocke County. Under the headlines of ?Grandfather Clocks Make Tennessee Company Tick,? Scripps Howard articles have appeared in newspapers throughout the country-the Cleveland, Ohio Plain Dealer, Columbus Dispatch, Memphis Commercial Appeal, South Carolina?s The Greeneville News, Philadelphia Enquirer, and a number of papers in California. Customers are now following the interstate highway system to Newport.

?We are pleased to greet these tourists, help them select a grandfather clock and recommend motels and restaurants that will make their stay in Cocke County enjoyable,? said Patsy Williams, president of Rhyne Lumber Co.

Many former Newport and Cocke County residents have returned to visit relatives and have stopped by the clock plant bringing their newspaper articles-displaying pride in the national attention to Newport and Cocke County. Others who have family connections in Cocke County, only mentioned by parents and grandparents, seemed delighted to explore their heritage-even those who beat the revenuers out of the county in days gone by.

?We love to give the tourists our Heritage Tour brochure of Cocke County and invite them to get to know our frontier,? laughed Williams.

Rhyne Clock Company is a unique family-owned business located at Main Street in Newport. Exit

Clocks are fashioned in cherry, walnut, oak, and poplar with German Hermle movements. Rhyne Clock craftspeople fashion an assortment of clock cases. These are bought by people from around the world.

Sequoia Grove Vineyards was founded in 1978 by Jim Allen, whose love for European wines inspired him to discover Napa Valley in the early days, and whose determination has produced elegant, award-winning wines of depth and character ever since. The winery is nestled on 24 acres of choice Napa Valley vineyards in Rutherford, California, on the site of a 100 year-old farmhouse surrounded by some of the last sequoia trees in the Napa Valley. These redwoods are carefully preserved by the Allen family and today, the majestic sequoia trees have become the trademark of the winery and symbols of the family's commitment to conservation of our natural resources.
The 24-acre estate is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and a small amount of Chardonnay. The Rutherford viticultural district is more than an appellation of Napa Valley. Rutherford is an icon of quality, the standard bearer for the best fruit. It is the center of Napa Valley, where some of the most sought-after wines in the world are produced.

In 1979, Ken Grossman began building a small brewery in the town of Chico, California. His goal: to brew exceptional ales and lagers. Today, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company is considered the premier craft brewery in the United States. And the beer? Critics proclaim it ?Among the best brewed anywhere in the world.?

Ken?s passion for brewing began when a friend showed him the basics of home brewing. Using homemade equipment, Ken began brewing five-gallon batches of beer on his own, and soon became a proficient home brewer.

In 1976, after studying chemistry and physics at Butte Community College and California State University at Chico, Ken opened his own store, The Home Brew Shop. There, he supplied Chico?s home-brewing community with equipment, materials, and advice, but dreamed of opening his own brewery.

Two years later, it was time to make the dream a reality. Ken and co-founder Paul Camusi cobbled a brewery together from dairy tanks, a soft-drink bottler, and equipment salvaged from defunct breweries. Though the equipment was secondhand, they created a first-rate microbrewery. The ingredients were premium, including the copious quantities of hops that would become the brewery?s trademark. An avid backpacker, Ken named the new company for his favorite hiking grounds?the Sierra Nevada mountains.

Finally, on November 15, 1980, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company brewed the first batch of what would soon become a landmark in American craft brewing: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Word spread quickly, and over the next decade the demand for Sierra Nevada brews soon exceeded the brewery?s modest brewing capacity. Despite nearly constant additions to the brewery, Ken was soon back at the drawing board, planning a new brewery. In 1989, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company moved to its current site.

Ken traveled to Germany and brought back a traditional 100-barrel copper brew house, which became the heart of the new brewery. This met demand for a while, but the brewery soon needed to expand again. In 1997, Ken commissioned the original coppersmiths to match new kettles to the originals, bringing the brewery?s total capacity to almost eight hundred thousand barrels per year.

Building the new brewery afforded Sierra Nevada the opportunity to create two stunning showcases, both featuring exceptional dining, live music, and its award-winning beers. The elegant Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant has become a destination in its own right. With mouthwatering lunch and dinner menus, an impressive dining room, and a large outdoor dining patio, it offers distinctive, contemporary cuisine as well as an opportunity to sample the brewery?s entire line of premium ales and lagers, including hard-to-find specialty drafts. The 350-seat Big Room?a beautifully designed live music and multi-purpose room?was constructed on the west end of the brewery to feature live music events for all ages and is a perfect facility for weddings, reunions, and business conferences.

To this day, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company remains true to its roots. Ken is still personally involved in every aspect of brewery operation. Most importantly, the Sierra Nevada commitment to quality remains the same. Premium ingredients and time-honored brewing techniques make Sierra Nevada ales and lagers truly exceptional beers.

Sweet Shop USA was established in 1972, in Fort Worth, Texas. Today, the company is located in Mount Pleasant, Texas. We are a family owned producer of hand-made chocolates. From our inception, our company has sought and continually trained individuals with experience in the art of hand crafting chocolates. We are dedicated in preserving the time consuming craft created locally by Martha Washington Chocolates some 75 years ago.

Sweet Shop USA has received national recognition for creating over 100 varieties of handmade pieces including various Truffles, Famous Brags®, Nuts and Chewies, and our signature Fudge Love®. Our success is credited to our emphasis on natural ingredients, including pure butter, fresh whipping cream, and the finest quality chocolate. Here at our factory the process of producing gourmet chocolate begins by blending the all-natural ingredients, then simmering the mixture in large kosher copper kettles. A machine?s work can never match the product of one of our hand-making experts. Our chocolatiers demonstrate intricate care and attention to detail to make our exceptional gourmet chocolate. We invest in people, not machines, who take pride in their craft. This is our American tradition. Handmade fresh, one piece at a time!

We distribute our hand made chocolate to the finest stores in the United States including Neiman Marcus, Dillard?s, Lord & Taylor, Hallmark, Hallmark Flowers, Central Market, Whole Foods and various Federated Stores. Our core customer base is comprised of small and mid-sized gourmet, gift, coffee, floral and specialty food retailers. We maintain contact with approximately 8,000 retailers currently. If you are interested in carrying our products in your store call 800-222-2269 and a customer care person can help you create your wholesale account.

We are proud to produce under two brands names in addition to our own Sweet Shop USA label: Mrs. Weinstein?s Gourmet Toffee and Price?s Fine Chocolates. Mrs. Weinstein?s Gourmet Toffee is originally of Santa Barbara, California. The toffee has won awards for Best of Show and has strong recognition in the specialty gourmet food trade. Price?s Fine Chocolates was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1919. It is a confectionary company with long standing recognition for their most popular creation: Annaclair?s®. You can find out more interesting history on these yummy brands from the Shop Retail homepage.

Seated in his neat, spacious office in Taylor Guitars' factory complex in El Cajon, California, company co-founder and CEO Kurt Listug cannot stifle a laugh as he studies a faded snapshot. The photograph, mined from the depths of an old cardboard box filled with dusty memorabilia, depicts the original Taylor shop on its very first day of existence -- October 15, 1974.

On the left, pony-tailed, 22-year-old employee Tim Luranc is examining something, while then-part-owner Steve Schemmer shovels water from the floor into a bucket. A companion photo shows the adjoining room on the same day. Crude, garish, overhead lights illuminate a funky old refrigerator amid indistinguishable clutter; a "humidity-controlled" booth with plastic-film walls; and a rough concrete floor pocked with puddles of standing water and clumps of soggy sawdust. "Primitive" and "wet" aptly describe both scenes.

In Taylor's early days, the morning after a rainstorm frequently began with cleaning up pools of water and soggy sawdust caused by flooding.
"That place was so bad," Listug recalls, shaking his head. "The roof leaked like crazy, and whenever it rained, the place flooded. It rained hard the night before we opened, so we spent the entire morning of our first day in business trying to get as much water out of there as we could."

"See those clumps of wet sawdust? When it flooded, we'd take all the sawdust that we'd already swept up, and sprinkle it around the floor to soak up the water. It made the place even more of a pig sty," he says, laughing. "But it was fun. What did we know? We were just kids. Somehow, we'd skirted having to get real jobs. We didn't have a boss, we were making guitars. What could be better?"

Despite the semi-aquatic conditions and inauspicious circumstances of Taylor's first few days of life, Listug's voice betrays a genuine wistfulness as he recalls the "hungry years" that made it possible for the company to be celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 1999. Listug enjoys reminiscing about the long, painstaking process of co-shepherding Taylor Guitars from its humble, naive beginnings to its current status as one of the world's most successful and highly regarded acoustic guitar manufacturers.

In one respect, there is no escaping the company's history, thanks to numerous human and material reminders of the company's scuffling days that can be found throughout Taylor's modern, high-tech facility. Primary among these, of course, are Taylor and Listug, who have made musical-instrument history by becoming the first American luthiers in this century to take an acoustic guitar company from one-off shop to production-level manufacturer without relinquishing ownership or creative control. Other first-decade Taylorites who are either still on the job, or who have left and come back, include Luranc (profiled in the Summer 1994 issue of our quarterly newsletter, Wood&Steel), Steve Baldwin (1983--), and Bob Zink (1984--profiled in the Fall '98 issue).

Among significant relics are a few early-vintage Taylor guitars that have been re-acquired over the years, and which repose in a safe place known only to Bob Taylor. Several tidy binders and scrapbooks on file in the current building's conference room contain articles and advertisements that delineate Taylor's progress from baby steps to leaps. Still, it's the cardboard box that provides Taylor and Listug their best opportunity to relish the sometimes poignant, often hilarious chronicles of the firm's first two decades. Looking at photographs of the duo as long-haired, bearded teenagers, Listug effortlessly spins anecdotes, punctuating his commentary with frequent, almost reflexive chuckling.

"I remember, as a teenager, driving with my parents past this guitar-repair shop called the Blue Guitar, in the Old Town area of San Diego," he said. "I thought guitars were the coolest thing, and I couldn't imagine anything cooler than working on them for a living. So, I pestered Sam Radding, owner of the American Dream shop in Lemon Grove, to hire me, even though I didn't have any of the necessary skills. Eventually, a work bench opened up, and I quit my job painting buildings at San Diego State University and started doing finishing work. That was in August 1973.

"A week or two later, Bob Taylor got a bench there. He'd been coming around for a while, buying guitar parts and showing Sam the guitars he'd made. At the time, Bob was 18 and I was 20."

In spite of his hirsute appearance, the young Taylor was quiet, reserved, and very "straight," and, for a while, the rest of the American Dream employees more or less ignored him. One day, Bob abruptly put an end to that.

"He came in where a few of us were eating lunch, sat down, and firmly announced, 'Well, I'm Bob Taylor,'" Listug remembers. "It was a real ice-breaker, and after that we all got along great."

"I remember being quite the odd duck in a real hippie shop," Taylor admits. "My hair was a lot longer, and I had a beard, but otherwise I was just a clean-cut boy in a white t-shirt who went to church three times a week with his mom and dad and sister. My whole life experience up to that time was just being a 'good boy.' I'd never been in trouble in my life; I spent my time in school doing projects and getting straight A's, winning industrial-arts expositions. I didn't know what alcohol or drugs were. Still don't. Didn't know about college, or girls, or anything except tools, and working with things. And here I was, working with these kids who, compared to me, were partying, wise-to-the-world, guitar-building, hippie musicians. So, Kurt, Bob Huff, Michael Stewart, Steve Hilliard, Sam Radding, and Barbie Cousins -- they'd be off to the side, giggling at me."
You might say that Taylor ended up at American Dream partly by default, partly by provident design. As a 17-year-old, he had seen a 12-string acoustic guitar in a local store window, and, lacking the funds to purchase it, had decided to make his own. He built three guitars while still in high school, working on them at night in the back of a service station, in between filling gas tanks and wiping windshields. Eventually, Taylor took his finished instruments to Sam Radding at American Dream. Radding was convinced that he had a future in the trade.

During their first year at American Dream, Taylor and Listug made a few guitars, but mostly did repairs. When Radding decided to sell the business in 1974, the employees split into rival purchasing groups of two, each team jockeying for position while trying to figure out how to come up with the requisite capital. Finally, a triumvirate of Taylor, Listug, and Schemmer bought the American Dream. Euphoric with ambition, they renamed it the Westland Music Company.

"We thought that would sound impressive, and make people think we were bigger than we really were," Listug laughs. "But Bob was the real guitar-maker, and, besides, we had to have a logo that would fit on the headstock, so we soon named the guitars Taylor guitars."

By the time the fledgling company hoisted its new banner, Taylor and Listug had a pretty clear idea of how their guitars would differ from others on the market. Their first few instruments certainly functioned well enough, but they weren't exactly things of beauty.

"Those first guitars had some structural problems, and sometimes the backs would ripple," Listug recalls. "We knew they couldn't compete, aesthetically, with the best guitars on the market, so we just kept working at it until we had a marketable-looking guitar."

After selling a few prototypes at the workshop, the partners decided to take their wares directly to dealers. In 1976, Listug loaded some guitars into Bob Taylor's van and headed for the music stores in Los Angeles. "They liked them, and I actually came home with checks in my hand," Listug says.

One of the first dealers to buy a Taylor guitar was the venerable McCabe's, in Santa Monica. John Zehnder, who today is the store's chief repairman, director of its music school, and banjo and mandolin instructor, remembers those first Taylors.

"In 1976, Taylors provided an affordable and viable alternative to Martins, which were the standard," Zehnder said in a phone interview. "The Taylors' low-profile necks, and the fact that they offered several choices as to neck widths, were a real advantage. Plus, they sounded good, and, because of the way they were made [with bolt-on necks], we were able to make repairs instantly, which was greatly appreciated by our customers. In many ways, Taylor guitars were a real breath of fresh air."

Random acceptance, however, did not translate to across-the-board success. Wholesale receipts just barely enabled the luthiers to continue making guitars.

"We got into this business just as the acoustic guitar market was going south in a big way," Taylor says. "It was dying a cruel death. We first started trying to sell Taylor guitars at a time when Mossman, Gurian, and LoPrinzi [guitars] were just peaking, so every time Kurt would get to a store, another rep had just been there, and the dealer would say, 'Oh, we just took on the Mossman line. We don't have any money left.'

"I remember one particularly bad day, clear as a bell," Taylor continues. "It was Friday, the end of another work week. There was no money; we were so broke. It was a pretty depressing scene. Then, late in the day, this guy came into the shop. His name was Charlie See -- grandson of Martha See, founder of See's Candies. He ended up buying a guitar that was hanging on the wall, and ordered a Brazilian rosewood 815 with abalone on it. It was about 7:30 that evening by the time he left, and he wrote us a check for $1,873, which was like a hundred-thousand bucks to us! All of a sudden, we were back in business. We had enough money to pay that month's $163 rent and buy more supplies. We could make guitars for another week or two."

In 1977, Taylor Guitars linked up with a distributor in the hope of boosting sales. It would prove to be an unproductive move.

"We ended up getting only $150 for a 510, $380 for an 855," Taylor recalls. "That was a very unprofitable time, but it was a great learning time. It forced me to learn something about production techniques. I had to separate the chaff from the wheat -- what's important, what's not important. The main improvement was simply getting past a stupid mental barrier -- the notion that if you take a lot of time to accomplish a task, somehow it's better than accomplishing the same task, just as well, in less time. I'm glad I was very young when I learned that that notion just doesn't make sense."

Taylor and Listug ended their affiliation with the distributor in 1979, but for years, the company remained fixed at a plateau of making 10 guitars a week and not seeing a profit. Because they were unable to break into any new markets, newly finished guitars just lay, unsold, around the shop. Bills went unpaid.

"We were really stupid," Listug recalls with a grin. "We thought that if we simply made more guitars, we'd make more money. So, we'd hire extra people to turn out more instruments, and then we'd have to spend more time and money marketing the extra production. All we were doing was raising the overhead. And, without any capital to pay for expansion, we just dug ourselves a deeper hole of debt. Then, Bob got married, and one day he said, 'If I can't make a living at this, why am I doing it?'"

"Actually, by that time, I'd kind of mentally burned my bridges as far as doing anything else was concerned," Taylor allows. "Every once in a while, people would ask me, 'Well, what if it just doesn't work out?' And I'd say, 'It has to work out.' I detested the thought of having to explain to everyone why I quit. That kept me going more than anything else -- the fear that for two years or more, I'd have to run into people who'd ask, 'What happened?' and I'd have to explain that we weren't doing well and had to give it up."

To save the business, the partners fired everyone and slowed production. In the short term, that enabled each of them to take home $100 per week -- enough to make ends meet. Gradually, they paid past-due bills and retired ancient debts. It was, to be sure, a meager living.

"When we got to the point where we could take home $200 a week, I thought we were doing great," Listug says. "I had a friend who was making $300 a week, and I remember thinking, 'Whoa -- $300 a week!'"

Adversity, it would seem, is best visited upon the young, who don't know enough to be stymied by it. As lean as things were, the Taylor gang never was at a loss for good times.

"Matt Guzzetta [currently Taylor's Senior Machine and Tool Designer] ran a motorcycle gas tank manufacturing shop right next door," Taylor remembered. "We'd have these big, pot-luck, music-and-food parties once a month on a Saturday night. Everyone would open their shop and we'd have maybe four local bands going -- a lot of really great San Diego players. Matt ran his shop for years, and when it finally closed, I had him do a job for me at Taylor Guitars, and he's been here ever since. But if you ask Matt -- as much as he likes working here -- he'll tell you that we ruined everything and began going 'downhill' after we stopped having those parties."

In 1981, Taylor Guitars took out a bank loan to purchase equipment that would enable them to smooth out some production wrinkles. But without the benefit of marketing, unsold guitars continued to pile up. A year later, they sold a number of guitars to a single dealer, and used the cash to put Listug on the road in a quest for new dealers.

"I told him, 'Don't even come back if you don't get any orders,'" Taylor laughs.

Listug's new role of traveling salesman took him throughout California and as far as Maine. Being away from the daily grind of the business renewed his energy and perspective, but the trip wasn't without its disasters.

"I had second thoughts about all this when my car broke down in a snowstorm in Wisconsin," he says. "But the dealers I visited loved our guitars. On the way home, I sold the six guitars I had with me, so we had cash for Christmas."

In 1983, Taylor and Listug bought out Schemmer. Newly equipped with machines they'd designed to handle the most laborious aspects of tooling and processing raw materials, the streamlined company finally began turning a profit. The influx of money was spent on technical refinements that resulted in higher-caliber guitars. Things were looking up, but a breakthrough was needed. It would come from a most unexpected source.

In the mid-'80s, synthesized rock so dominated the charts and airwaves that acoustic guitars seemed anachronistic -- the implements of coffeehouse folkies and '60s diehards. Up to that time, Taylor Guitars had allowed its distributor to represent the company at the semi-annual trade shows of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). But, in 1984, Taylor and Listug exhibited their own guitars at the winter NAMM show, and ran smack into that era's industry realities.
"Those NAMM shows were hard," Listug says. "We were set up near the Martin booth in 1985, when we showed our Artist Series [limited-edition, color-stained guitars]. Even Martin was singing the blues about how lousy business was."

Hoping to lure rockers into trying their acoustics, Taylor and Listug accepted a challenge from Glenn Wetterlund of Podium Music in Minneapolis to create a guitar for one of the day's superstars -- Prince, who needed a 12-string for some recording sessions. At the time, Prince was in his "purple" phase, so Taylor made him a purple-stained 655. But, there was a catch: Prince would not perform with instruments bearing a visible brand name. As a result, Taylor would make a guitar that would be seen by millions (Prince played it in both his Purple Rain and Live Aid videos) -- and the Taylor logo would be nowhere in sight.

Whether the "Prince guitar" in any way impacted the eventual re-emergence of the acoustic guitar is debatable, but it sure didn't hurt Taylor Guitars. By then, word of Bob Taylor's handiwork was spreading through the music world, and famous and unknown musicians alike were snapping up his guitars. In the hope o1

Oakland's Paramount Theatre is one of the finest remaining examples of Art Deco design in the United States. Designed by renowned San Francisco architect Timothy L. Pflueger and completed in late 1931, it was one of the first Depression-era buildings to incorporate and integrate the work of numerous creative artists into its architecture and is particularly noteworthy for its successful orchestration of the various artistic disciplines into an original and harmonious whole.

Construction was initiated by Publix Theatres, the exhibiting organization of Paramount Pictures. Although financial difficulties forced the sale of the uncompleted building to Fox-West Coast Theatres, the firm that completed the theatre and operated it until it closed on September 15, 1970, the name "Paramount" was retained.

After its initial brief blaze of "movie palace" glory in the 1930's, this remarkable auditorium suffered three decades of neglect and decline until its rescue by the Oakland Symphony, the City of Oakland and numerous private donors. The building was purchased by the Board of Directors of the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association in 1972. A painstaking and authentic restoration was completed in 1973 and the theatre was entered in the National Register of Historic Places on August 14th of that year.

In 1975 the City of Oakland, the present owner, assumed ownership from the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association. The Paramount Theatre became a California Registered Historic Landmark in 1976, and on May 5, 1977, was declared a National Historic Landmark.

Restored to its original splendor, meticulously maintained, and fully upgraded to modern technical standards, the Paramount now serves all the arts. The Paramount Theatre is the home of both the Oakland Ballet and the Oakland East Bay Symphony and, as one of the San Francisco Bay Area's premiere performing arts facilities, hosts a year-round schedule of popular music concerts, variety shows, and - of course - movies.

U.S. Borax operates California's largest open pit mine in Boron, California - one of the richest borate deposits on the planet. The company supplies 30% of the world's demand for refined borates, minerals essential to life and modern living.

U.S. Borax traces its roots to California's Death Valley, where borate deposits were discovered in 1872. The twenty mule teams U.S. Borax used to haul ore out of the remote desert live on as a symbol of the company's commitment to innovation.

Today, U.S. Borax is acknowledged as the world leader in borate technology, research and development. Technical support for customers, product quality, and supply reliability are the pillars of our commercial commitment. We are also committed to ensuring that our practices and products are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable.

You will also find the U.S. Borax Visitor Center, one of the best kept secrets of the Southern California desert.

You can view mammouth mining equipment working in California's largest mine.

Viking Range Corporation was founded by Fred E. Carl, Jr., a fourth generation building contractor, as a speculative venture aimed at developing the first commercial-type range specifically designed, engineered and certified for home use.

The idea of developing a commercial-type range for home use resulted from Carl noticing the increasing use of commercial ranges in residential kitchens during the late 1970s. Recognizing the need for such a product became even more apparent when Carl was designing and building his new home in 1980. The typical stainless steel restaurant range strongly appealed to Carl and his wife wanted a heavy-duty, classic looking range like her mother?s old Chambers, which had long been out of production.

As he considered the possibility of using a standard commercial range in their home, Carl became convinced that restaurant ranges were definitely not designed for home use. Among the numerous disadvantages which made those undesirable and impractical for installation in a residential kitchen were: high heat output and extremely hot surface temperatures, no safety features, excessive energy consumption, constantly burning standing pilot instead of automatic ignition, no broiling in the oven, and dimensions which were not designed for typical residential cabinetry.

Carl became convinced that the ideal solution would be a hybrid range that would combine the most desirable features of both a commercial range and the old Chambers range his wife so badly wanted. This left him with a dilemma ? he realized both he and his wife wanted something that didn?t exist. But he also saw this as an opportunity. If no one was making such a product, why shouldn?t he? So he decided to pursue the idea of creating the world?s first heavy duty, commercial-type range for the home.

Carl first conducted a thorough design analysis to identify all the advantages and disadvantages of commercial ranges. 1n 1981 and 1982, while operating his design/build construction company, he used any spare time he had to prepare conceptual drawings and developed detailed specifications which eliminated all the shortcomings of a commercial range for home use while including all their advantages. High performance cooking, large capacity, heavy duty construction and professional styling were all key elements of his design. Carl then added all the desirable features of a high-end residential range, such as automatic ignition, in-the-oven broiling, convenient controls, ample insulation to decrease exterior temperatures and heat output into the kitchen, standard widths and depths to accommodate typical residential cabinetry, and various other functional and cosmetic improvements. To achieve the look of the old Chambers, he included the option of a brilliant white finish in his specifications.

In preparation for taking his product to market, Carl then began establishing the business structure of the venture. In late 1983, with the assistance of a local advertising agency, he named the new company and its product "Viking". Carl incorporated Viking Range Corporation on March 22, 1984. The challenge of pioneering and developing the very first commercial-type range for the home had officially begun.

Carl began presenting his drawings and specifications to various commercial range manufacturers, seeking a partner that would aid him in developing and producing a commercial-type range for home use. After being turned down by virtually every major restaurant range manufacturer in the industry, Carl ultimately persuaded a southern California company to assist him with the engineering and to carry out the manufacturing of the first Viking range.

The engineering and certification process of the first Viking range spanned a period of more than three years. Being a hybrid of both commercial and residential equipment, Carl?s Viking range was the first such range to ever be submitted to the American Gas Association laboratories for certification. Because no such product had ever existed or been tested, AGA approval involved over a year of extensive testing and evaluation, including the creation of several new testing criteria. AGA certification was finally obtained in late 1986, and 20 test and sample units were produced in October and November of that year. Normal production of the world?s first commercial-type range for home use finally began in January, 1987.

The unanticipated volume and growth experienced by Viking quickly overwhelmed the capacity and capabilities of the California manufacturer and production was subsequently moved to a household appliance manufacturer in eastern Tennessee that was more accustomed to larger volumes. Although this company provided some degree of improvement, various problems and challenges persisted which were beyond Carl?s control and he knew another change had to be made.

Therefore, in October of 1989, Viking began preparations for manufacturing its own product line in Carl?s hometown of Greenwood, Mississippi, located in the historic Mississippi Delta. By February of 1990, the first Viking-produced range top went into production. Production of the 48-inch range followed in April, and by July 1990, all models were in production in Greenwood. For the first time Viking assumed full responsibility for the in-house manufacture of its own product line.

In July 1992, Stephens Inc., a Little Rock, Arkansas, investment banking firm (www.stephens.com), made a major equity investment in Viking Range Corporation. Carl?s new partnership with Stephens allowed Viking to accelerate its rapid growth and to further expand its product line and manufacturing capabilities to keep pace with the increasing demand for its high quality products.

The original Viking manufacturing facility in Greenwood was located in a 35,000 sq. ft. former distribution warehouse (which had been built by Carl?s father in the 1950?s) and served the company?s needs for about two years. However, increased volume and the addition of new products soon stretched the capacity of this small manufacturing facility. In 1992, the decision was made to move to a larger 100,000 sq. ft. plant to accommodate the continued growth of the company. This facility, located on what is now Viking Road, has been enlarged several times in the past few years to approximately 240,000 sq. ft. and is now the Viking cooking products manufacturing plant.

In 1986, the Viking corporate offices were moved from Carl?s cramped construction company office to a partially renovated building on the bank of the Yazoo River in the historic Cotton Row District of downtown Greenwood. As the company continued to grow, Carl expanded his offices within this building and soon filled it. Committed to staying in downtown Greenwood, he then began buying adjoining buildings to house the growing company. The Viking corporate headquarters now consists of a collection of historic buildings totaling over 50,000 square feet. All of the downtown buildings are original structures of the late 1800s and early 1900s, and several have received historic preservation awards from the Mississippi Heritage Trust as well as the National Trust for Historic Preservation Award for commercial district revitalization.

Due to the rapid growth of Viking, keeping up with its facilities needs has been a major challenge. In late 1997, an entirely new plant, now consisting of 90,000 sq. ft., was constructed just outside the western city limits of Greenwood to produce Viking ventilation hoods and certain other specialty products. A third manufacturing facility, the Viking refrigeration products plant, was acquired and totally renovated in 2000. This 143,000 sq. ft. facility, located adjacent to the cooking products manufacturing facility, produces Viking built-in refrigerators and wine storage units. In order to efficiently handle distribution of its ever-expanding product line, Viking also built a distribution center in 2000 and then expanded the building in 2002 for a total of over 80,000 sq. ft.

The Viking dishwasher products manufacturing plant was completed in 2006. This facility totals over 87,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space. Also in 2006, the Viking product support center was opened in Greenwood to house the Viking service parts and customer assurance department, comprised of service parts distribution, service call center, warranty administration, and technical support staffs. Viking also opened a new tool & die facility with over 10,000 square feet in 2007. The current square footage of all Viking production and distribution facilities in Greenwood is more than 600,000 square feet.

Viking has continued its aggressive new product development initiatives and has expanded its product offerings to encompass the entire kitchen, both indoors and outdoors. In addition to freestanding ranges and ventilation hoods, the current Viking product line includes built-in range tops and cooktops, built-in ovens, warming drawers, dishwashers, trash compactors, food waste disposers, refrigerators, freezers, wine cellars, and an entire line of outdoor products including grills, ovens, refrigeration and stainless steel cabinetry.

Viking sells its major appliance products through 13 residential appliance distributors covering all 50 states and Canada, and these distributors sell to authorized Viking dealers in their territories. In addition, Viking-Europe headquartered in Strasbourg, France, and Viking-Asia in Bangkok, Thailand, now serve 50 international distributors who handle Viking international sales throughout the world. Viking products are now found in more than 80 countries worldwide. The Viking network of independent distributors is regarded as one of the strongest in the major appliance industry.

In 2002, Viking Range Corporation moved into a new market category of premium culinary products (www.vikingrange.com) which has grown to include cookware, cutlery, stand mixers, blenders, toasters, food processors, and hand blenders. The culinary products line continues to expand and is distributed directly to gourmet shop retailers throughout the USA.

Viking considers itself not only a major appliance manufacturer, but a culinary company involved in all aspects of the kitchen and the world of food and wine - The Viking Life. Through cooking classes, gourmet events and online instruction, the Viking Life makes the savory world of Viking tangible.

Viking Cooking Schools offer the USA?s most popular non-academic culinary curriculum in locations throughout the country. There are currently sixteen Viking Cooking School licensees and affiliates with four additional locations scheduled to open by end of year 2009. Over 70, 000 students participated in Viking Cooking School classes in 2008. There are currently over 300 unique classes available for all Viking Cooking School licensees and affiliates which have been developed, written and tested by Viking culinary professionals.

In 2001, Viking began renovations on the historic Hotel Irving in downtown Greenwood. Renamed The Alluvian and designed as an upscale boutique hotel offering unparalleled amenities, the hotel opened to widespread acclaim in May 2003. The Alluvian won the AAA 4-Diamond Award in 2007 and 2008 as well Conde Nast?s Traveler 2008 Gold List and 2004 Hot List. The Alluvian provides luxury accommodations for the many Viking dealers who attend weekly factory training sessions in Greenwood, along with developers, builders, designers, architects and other Viking guests, as well as the general public.

In addition, The Alluvian Spa; Giardina?s Restaurant, a Mississippi Delta dining landmark since 1936; and the Viking Cooking School and Retail Store provide an entertaining and memorable experience, resulting in the renowned Viking facilities becoming a unique and popular tourist destination.

In spite of its tremendous growth and success, Viking Range Corporation remains essentially the same entrepreneurial company it was at its inception. This small, close-knit company culture serves Viking, its customers and its community well, and greatly contributes to the company?s ongoing growth and success. By carefully preserving this unique, creative and stimulating environment, and through offering only the very finest, highest quality products, Viking plans to continue its aggressive growth and expansion to further increase its already strong presence in the worldwide major appliance and related culinary lifestyle industries.

Winchester Cheese Company is owned and operated by Jules Wesselink who was born and raised in Haarlem, Holland. Jules has operated his own dairies in California since the 1950's. As the metropolitan Los Angeles area has grown Jules's dairies have moved from Artesia to Chino, and now to Winchester. The dairy now has 500 Holstein cows and is located in a beautiful setting as you can see from the accompanying photos.
BOERE KAAS, which means "Home made on the farm", is the favorite choice of cheese-loving Holland. In a class by itself, it is distinguished by its delicious and unique flavor in comparison to cheese mass produced in factories. Our cheese is made by Valerie Thomas, Jules Wesselink's daughter, and David Thomas, her husband.

We take pride in making "Gouda" Boere Kaas in Winchester, California in the same traditional way as it has been done by our families back home in Holland for many, many generations.
We make it on the farm in Winchester in the same natural way, using the same natural ingredients and fresh raw milk. Then we age it like fine wine, to perfection, to bring out its natural goodness.
The only difference we allow ourselves is that we no longer use wooden tubs and tools. We now use shining stainless steel vats and utensils. The Taste Remains unmistakably... "Gouda" Boere Kaas!

Field trips and Guided Tours are available. Call for details.
You and your children will enjoy your visit to The Winchester Cheese Company and Dairy. We are located within easy driving distance from both Los Angeles and San Diego. You may wish to make a day trip and visit local wineries and see the enormous new Southern California Water Reservoir being constructed on our doorstep.