Story Published:
Sep 4, 2011 at 8:49 AM CDT
Story Updated:
Sep 4, 2011 at 8:49 AM CDT
Greg Little, Wednesday, Aug 31, 2011 For full article, click here.
BYRDSTOWN — Nelda Riley knew most everything about teaching. She knew almost nothing about the bottled water business.
Ten years later, she’s the heart and soul of CJR Bottling in Pickett County.
“Are your crazy?” was her husband Steve’s response back in 2001 when asked if they wanted to buy the water bottling company.
Yet the opportunity did seem intriguing and it also seemed logical since their tobacco farming business was going up in smoke, something which hit all of Pickett County.
Riley said a group of five people began talking about the possibility of purchasing the operation and in December 2001, the deal was made. Riley was still teaching at the time, but jumped right in and began learning all about bottled water. She would eventually retire from teaching after 30 years on the job.
The plant is located in remote area of Pickett County because that’s where the spring water comes out of the ground. Riley said they pump the water up the hill from the spring, filter the water and use a process that utilizes ozone and UV light to get the water to its purest possible form. She said it’s some of the purest water around, noting the micron count is “lower than the majority” of water produced by other companies.
Their signature label is Tennessee Premium Spring Water and can be found throughout the region in a wide variety of locations.
A new twist
In an ironic twist for the company, they recently entered into an agreement with a California firm which has a distribution group in this region and are providing a different kind of bottled water.
In this case, the water has a high pH value, which Riley says is “good for the system,” meaning the human body. She said this kind of water is becoming very popular across the country, especially in urban areas.
Room to grow
Presently, CJR Bottling employs four to eight people and sometimes has 10, depending on the amount of orders. She said during the winter months, the number drops to four because demand drops in colder weather.
Looking forward
One of the big struggles for the company, because they are a small group, is marketing, said Riley. She depends on their distributors for marketing, along with word of mouth. Many of the distributors attend various trade shows to promote Tennessee Premium Spring Water.
Riley said their next goal is to make some inroads into the Knoxville market. She believes there is a good market in that area for bottled water.
For the full CBJ article, click here.
