Dell Cove® Spices and More Co. is a new addition to the business landscape of Allen County, IN. Homegrown by husband-and-wife team Patricia and David Beets, Dell Cove®, a gourmet popcorn and popcorn seasoning enterprise, moved its warehouse, retail, and distribution operations from Chicago to a New Haven warehousing center earlier this year.
As with most warehouses, the walls were plain, and that didn’t sit well with the Beets. They love all the artwork popping up as murals in and around Fort Wayne, and decided that’s what their warehouse/retail store needed: murals.
“When we saw the big white walls, we thought, let’s find a young artist in the area and have them create something interesting,” said David Beets. “Our landlord gave us the thumbs-up for the project, and on the advice of a friend, we called the dean’s office in the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Purdue University Fort Wayne to see if there was an artist interested in the project.”
The dean, John O’Connell, recommended the Beets get in touch with Samantha (or Sam, as she prefers) Fulk, a senior studying art education. The trio discussed the work, talked over themes, and the project got underway.
“We told Sam that we wanted the mural to somehow reflect our business and where people might enjoy our popcorn products, and at the same time, reflect how we are proud to be part of the northeast Indiana community,” explained David. “When Sam mentioned baseball, we both thought of the TinCaps, so I contacted the team, and their management allowed us to use their name and logo in the artwork project.”
“I worked with Patricia and David on creating a composition that worked for them, and they ultimately gave me a lot of creative freedom,” added Fulk.
While painting the murals, Fulk also decided to capture her work on video. She set up her camera on a tripod and taped specific parts of the painting process in 30-minute segments.
“Afterwards, I sped up the videos, edited them together to create a short clip of the process, and posted the whole thing to my YouTube page. This appeals to many audiences and gives me a chance to grow my brand in a creative way,” said Fulk.
Patricia and David always enjoy a good bowl of popcorn, especially when they add their own homemade spice mixes as a topping. They thought they were good enough to be included with other treats in gift baskets that were sent to friends and family over the holidays. According to Patricia, one friend suggested they sell their spice mixes, and the rest, as they say, is history.
“We started the company in California, and over time, as our sales grew, we moved to the Chicago area. In 2012, I quit my day job at an engineering firm and began running the business full time. We now have our merchandise in more than 50 stores in 39 states,” said Beets.
Hoping to expand their business, they began looking at different states in which to relocate and were drawn to northeast Indiana, in some part, because David grew up in Fort Wayne and still has family and friends here.
“So that, combined with northeast Indiana’s positive business outlook for the future, made coming here the perfect choice; we’re very confident that Glen Cove® will continue to grow and prosper here,” concluded Beets.
To learn more about the murals, contact Fulk at fulkse01@pfw.edu; to learn more about Dell Cove® Spices and More Co. and the Beets, visit their website.
