Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Relocation energizes area business's vitamin sales

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Tuesday, June 13, 2000

Relocation energizes area business's vitamin sales
Also: Mother, daughter looking for treasure in floral shop

Paul Iverson/Caller-Times

Joe Garza, owner and founder of Vitamin Express, stands in his store, located at 4730 S. Padre Island Drive next to Hest Fitness. He sells about 100 types of vitamins and now plans to concentrate on sports supplement products.

A healthy business strategy for local Vitamin Explorer owner Joe Garza was to relocate beside Hest Fitness Products - and sales have been popping ever since.
   Garza, who has been in the vitamin business for 12 years, will celebrate the first anniversary at his new location, 4730 S. Padre Island Drive, on Thursday. He broke into the business by working for major grocery chains including Sun Harvest and H-E-B. Two years ago, he decided to go into vitamin sales for himself.
   "I knew from working at Sun Harvest in San Antonio that there was not too much competition in Corpus Christi," Garza said. "I wanted to provide good, economic pricing to try to make it affordable for everyone to take vitamins."
   Garza takes eight vitamins a day, including vitamins to help circulation, a multivitamin, one to help with digestion and one to strengthen the immune system. He didn't start taking vitamins until he started working with them 12 years ago. Back then, like many people in Corpus Christi now, he said, he didn't know how much good they could do for his health.
   "We are kind of behind the times, as far as knowing about certain vitamins and what they do for the person," Garza said. "But I think we are definitely catching up to speed with cities up north such as Dallas and Austin."
   At his store, at the right corner of Hest's equipment showroom, Garza sells about 100 types of vitamins and said he has sold about $150,000 in vitamins. He got started by working with the Corpus Christi Minority Business Development Center to create a business plan, then used personal savings and a loan from Mercantile Bank.
   Garza's next move will take further advantage of his location; he will concentrate on sports supplementation products. With Hest, "we really work well and complement each other," Garza said. "They carry the best sports equipment. We carry the best vitamins."
   Opening a treasure
   When mother and daughter team Cecilia Pacheco and Kathy Ramirez decided to start a floral business together, the timing of moving into and renovating their new shop had both working on Mother's Day.
   Which was just fine with Pacheco, who is also grandmother to Ramirez's son.
   "It's great to work with my daughter, I really enjoy it. She's a good daughter," Pacheco said. The two even named their shop after their teamwork, calling it KC's Treasures, located at 701 1/2 N. Chaparral St.
   KC's Treasures offers wedding floral arrangements, balloon bouquets and regular flower arrangements. The shop also sells gourmet coffee, bagels, muffins and pastries.
   It was a natural choice for the pair because they both like arts and crafts, Pacheco said.
   KC's Treasures opened a week before Mother's Day, and the first month has been kind of tough, Pacheco said. All of the start-up money came from their savings, so the two may seek business help from local agencies.
   "We're trying to hang on," Pacheco said.



On Retailing is published every other Tuesday in the Caller-Times business section. The column includes news of new, relocated and expanded businesses in the Coastal Bend, plus retailing trends and profiles. Ideas may be submitted to: On Retailing, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, Texas 78469; e-mail Tara Copp at coppt@caller.com; fax items to (361) 886-3732; or call (361) 886-4316.

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