VAN BUREN — Heading west on Highway 60, just outside of Van Buren, a small building is nestled into open property with stacks of firewood beside it and a warehouse behind it. The building is the Big Spring Sheltered Workshop and it is changing with the times.
The workshop just celebrated the fact that they filled a substantial order for Walmart; and in so doing, they have taken a step into the future with their operation.
“Basically, what happened was that we got the opportunity to make a presentation to Walmart last year,” workshop Director John Henderson explained. “Back in October, we went to Walmart headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, and we delivered a presentation about the minnow traps that we make here.
“Walmart liked the presentation, but what they loved even more was the story behind everything.”
According to Henderson, the workshop is able to make minnow traps because a man named Harold Staats retired from his minnow trap-making business and gave that business to the workshop.
“That was in 1994-95,” Henderson remarked. “For years, those traps have been sold to local stores and regional distributors.”
But, as the times have changed, Henderson said he recognized the need to make some changes in order to fulfill the goal of the workshop.
“Our mission statements is simple,” Henderson said. “That mission is to provide meaningful and dignified employment to disabled people and help prepare them for a competitive workforce.”
With that mission in mind, Henderson said the workshop started to focus on selling minnow traps online, through retailers such as Amazon.
“The opportunity for the Walmart order came along, and we were happy to do it,” Henderson noted. “I would gladly do business with Walmart again. A lot of people like to pan them for their business practices or whatever, but I can tell you that when they commit to something, they really commit.”
Once the size of the order was decided, Henderson explained the workshop had to modernize in some areas. “We had to develop an RFID strip, and we had to get help with that,” Henderson explained. “And we also worked with Fusion Transport for labeling and packaging. We added a QR code to our label.”
From December to April, Henderson said the certified staff at the workshop worked to fill the order for Walmart; and by April, the order was filled.
“The order was for 2,400 minnow traps,” Henderson said. “The commitment was for that order to be sold in 200 stores. We’ll have to see how everything sells before we determine if we’ll get another order.”
More than minnow traps
In addition to manufacturing minnow traps, Henderson explained the workshop also recycles cardboard, as well as recycling folders for businesses.
“We also take wood that gets donated to us and we make it available for firewood to campers,” Henderson stated as he pointed out the firewood stand. “We even make it available to people on the honor system after hours. We have a box where they place the money. People are actually pretty honest about that.”
Henderson has been the director of the workshop for two years, but the workshop has been in place since 1983.
“It takes a lot to make this place run,” Henderson remarked. “We’re fortunate to get assistance through organizations like the USDA and local businesses. It really is a community effort.”
Henderson said he would like to see the workshop continue to progress beyond recycling and the other standard fare.
“I think it’s good for us to focus on changing with technology,” he stated. “Doing that contract with Walmart came with a steep learning curve; but we were able to handle it. And I think this shows that we can do more than some people might think.”
Kyle Wilkens, state director for U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, was at the workshop to present them with a certificate of recognition for what they managed to do with the operation. More than $90,000 in USDA rural development loans and grants have been awarded to the Big Springs Sheltered Workshop for improvement and expansion projects.
“I wish I could go to an event like this every day,” Wilkens remarked. “This is a great thing to see, because they need more than just the assistance that’s provided by the rural development grant money we get for them.”
“I’m excited to see how things progress for us from here on,” Henderson remarked. “I’m excited to try new things and to adapt to new things to help us achieve our objective. But I also really like selling minnow traps.”