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MADE IN KANSAS – GIVING THE GIFT OF COMMUNITY

By Liz Stevens, writer, KSAE Magazine

The holidays are just around the corner, and so is a new year of organization programs, initiatives and (hopefully in-person) events. To offer a leg up to organizations looking for thoughtful holiday business gifts, and for year-round options for thank-you tokens, incentives, rewards, awards and swag bag content, KSAE Magazine is highlighting a quartet of companies offering “made in Kansas” products, confections, food and wine.

If delicious chocolates fit the bill or handcrafted cheese made from the milk of Kansas dairy cows sounds like a winner, look no further. Maybe a selection of wines from Kansas vineyards will hit the spot, or if personalized, etched glass mugs, pitchers or glasses are just the ticket, read on. KSAE members can shop these Kansas entrepreneurs’ websites for gift boxes, customized products and gift packs, gift baskets, assortments and party platters.

Glass Decorators

Glass Decorators, founded in 1985 and located in Lindsborg, Kansas, is owned by Corey Peterson, former president of KSAE (2008). Peterson’s company offers a wide selection of glassware, including coffee mugs, beer glasses, wine glasses, cocktail glasses, shot glasses, water glasses, carafes and pitchers, all of which can be decorated with high quality etching. The etched image – text or a company logo – is created with a sandblasting technique that produces a clean, crisp and permanent design.

Rather than having standard gift packages, Glass Decorators works with customers to design individualized packages. “A common gift idea is a pitcher/carafe and drinking glasses to promote the company in their own conference room,” said Peterson. “Employees often surprise their partners with this type of gift.”

Glass Decorators specializes in glassware, said Peterson, “but we also can brand or personalize awards and items like glass ornaments. We take pride in our personalization capabilities and will personalize anywhere from one to hundreds of items.”

“A common gift idea is a pitcher/ carafe and drinking glasses to promote the company in their own conference room.”

Glass Decorators in Lindsborg specializes in glassware that can be decorated with high quality etching.

Peterson noted that his company offers items that are popular as business gifts.

“Many customers have had their company logos etched on coffee mugs, ale glasses, wine glasses or cocktail glasses,” he said. “We do special event glasses to commemorate an event or for special recognitions. Our deep etching technique sets us apart from other, larger merchandising/marketing companies.” Glass Decorators can convert most company logos into an etchable format and can add text in an endless variety of fonts.

For more information, visit www.glassdecorators.com or call 800.779.3344.

Alma Creamery

Alma Creamery, founded in 1946, is located in Alma, Kansas, and features cheeses made by hand with milk from a local Kansas dairy. The company produces handmade jack and cheddar cheeses, and offers a variety of additional “made in Kansas” edibles, including beef jerky, flavored popcorn, bread mixes, sausages, cookies, preserves and jelly, salsa and mustard.

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Alma Creamery in Alma features handmade cheeses made from milk from a Kansas dairy. Gift boxes are among the company’s main gift products. Hazel Hill Chocolates in Topeka offers small-batch treats, including craft chocolate bars and hand-dipped chocolates.

Alma Creamery’s Cody Dillon explained that the company’s main products for the holidays are its corporate gift boxes. “Prices for the boxes range from $20-$60,” said Dillon, “and we can also custom build boxes.” The Creamery’s corporate gift boxes come with an assortment of Alma cheeses and can be packed with these added treats:

• Summer sausage (8oz./16oz) • Prairy Peppernuts (Traditional Pfeffernusse,

Pfeffernusse-Anise Free) • Prairy Bites (Orange Dream Cookies, Chocolate

Crunch Cookies) • Grandma Hoerner’s (Triple Berry Preserve, Big Slice

Cinnamon French Toast Apples, Berry Habanero Jelly) • Holmes Made (Mild Garden Salsa, Medium Garden

Salsa, Hot Salsa, Nightmare Extra Hot Salsa, Smoky

Cowboy Mustard)

For more information, visit www.almacheese.com, call 785.765.3522 or send inquiries to info@almacheese.com.

Hazel Hill Chocolates

Hazel Hill Chocolates, located in Topeka, Kansas, offers craft chocolate bars, hand-dipped chocolates, kettle-cooked candies/toffee/apples, barks and panned items, and even Keto chocolate for carb-restricted diets. Sweets from Hazel Hill Chocolates are made by owners Terry and Nick Xidis, who is a third-generation chocolatier, using only the finest ingredients, chocolate, fresh cream and butter, to produce handmade treats that are whipped up the old-fashioned way, in small batches.

The company’s craft chocolate bars feature cacao from Madagascar, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Belize and Tanzania. Hazel Hill’s hand-dipped chocolates include truffles, cluster/nut/fruit delicacies, chocolatecovered cookies, pretzels and fruit, caramels, cream centers and jellies, and English toffee. There also are kettle-cooked candies, toffee and applies, as well as panned candies and candy bark.

For holiday and business gift-giving, the company offers gift baskets, boxed chocolates, party platters and glass assortments. For the holiday season, assorted chocolates are the most popular items, and Hazel Hill’s gift-boxed candies are also very popular. “The companies we work with regarding corporate gifts seem to like the Christmas baskets and tins filled with chocolates,” Terry Xidis said. “Some prefer boxed assorted chocolates.” All the gift baskets and other combination packages can be customized to suit customers’ desires.

For more information, visit www.hazelhillchocolate.com, call 785.215.8883 or email chocolate@hazelhillchocolate.com.

Wyldewood Cellars

Wyldewood Cellars is a family-owned vineyard and winery located in Peck, Kansas, about 20 miles south of Wichita. Wyldewood Cellars was founded in 1995 by the brother and sister team of Dr. John Brewer and Merry Bauman. The vineyard began by making elderberry wines but has expanded drastically to now include more than 40 wines made from various fruits, berries and grape varieties. There is a wine for every taste, including sweet wines, meads, sangrias, semi-sweet wines, semi-dry wines and dry wines.

Wyldewood’s Merry Bauman explained that gift baskets are available during the holiday season. “An amazing holiday selection from the Cellars would be our Partridge in a Pear

Tree semi-sweet white wine, which comes with special information about the holiday song, our Rudolph Rosé semisweet with information about the red-nosed reindeer’s song, and our Spiced Elderberry wine – which is like a German gluwine.” For a complete taste tour of Wyldewood Cellars wines, Bauman suggested a sweet-to-dry flight of Lady Dulce, Elderberry Blackberry Mead, Peach Sangria, Prairie Sunshine Semi-Sweet, Traminette Semi-Dry and Elderberry Dry Reserve.

“Corporate customers,” said Bauman, “can purchase at our winery in Peck/Mulvane or at our tasting room in Wichita.” Orders to be shipped can be placed by calling the winery. “We also offer volume discounts,” noted Bauman. “For purchases over 12 bottles, we offer 10% off both in-store and

“An amazing holiday selection from the Cellars would be our Partridge in a Pear Tree semisweet white wine, which comes with special information about the holiday song.”

Wyldewood Cellars in Peck began by making elderberry wines but has expanded to include more than 40 wines made from various fruits, berries and grape varieties.

online. There is also an additional 5% in-store discount for military, teachers and first responders.”

For more information, visit www.wyldewoodcellars.com, call 316.554.9463, extension 1, or visit in person at the Peck, Wichita or Paxico locations. F

509 E. 3rd St. Alma, KS 66401

AlmaCheese.com

“Nibblin’ Good”

A Kansas Cheese Tradition Since 1946 Alma Creamery produces handmade Jack and Cheddar Cheeses with pride from milk from a local Kansas dairy. Alma cheese’s all natural cheese curds are known all over the state and Midwest for their squeaky wholesome goodness. Today, Alma Creamery supplies many stores and restaurants around Kansas with our famous cheese.

Home Of The World Famous “Nibblin’ Good” Alma Cheese!

Corporate Gift Box Program

Is your business in need of the perfect gift for clients, customers or employees? We can build a custom box just for you. This box can consist of our famous Alma Cheese along with many other great products from Kansas companies. We offer discounts for bulk orders and can ship nationwide to everyone on your list.

For more information email us at info@almacheese.com or call us at (785) 765-3522.