From shoebox to 30,000 square foot warehouse ...
it's all in the dip mix.
Pelican Bay Ltd., Inc. began as a hobby in 1982. Char Pfaelzer thought blending herbs for dip mixes might be fun. Given as gifts to friends for the holidays, Char received repeated requests for her uniquely seasoned dip mixes.
The following spring, a neighbor invited her to display her dip mixes at a Dallas Gift Show. Located in the back of the booth amidst a sea of wind chimes, Char Pfaelzer and her dip mixes were barely noticed by potential customers. A bit disheartened, Char befriended a fellow food exhibitor and the two committed to sharing a booth at upcoming shows around the country.
In a more inviting atmosphere, Pfaelzer found her dip mixes to be a huge success. With only two orders written at the Dallas Show, however, Char was totally unprepared for the thousands of dollars worth of orders the subsequent shows would produce. As a multitude of orders came in daily, Char found herself unable to fill them and ultimately hid them in a shoebox under her bed. This, so no one would know what she thought at the time to be an awful truth.
Fortunately, with the help of her family -- husband, David; son, Justin and daughter, Emma -- the orders in the shoebox were filled and shipped. Suddenly Pelican Bay, Ltd. had taken on a life of it's own and had become a family business.
In September 1989, Char's husband, David Pfaelzer left his secure job as Senior Vice President of an advertising agency and began working full time with his wife. In addition to helping Char with production, sales, and marketing , David's responsibilities also included unloading delivery trucks, packing boxes for UPS, and organizing an occasional street hockey game with employees in the parking lot. All a far cry from the business suits, long lunches, and uninterrupted reading of the Wall St. Journal he had been used to. David was instrumental in the growth and success of the company until his death from cancer in February 2004.
After graduating from Williams College in 1994, son Justin took over the helm and currently serves as CEO of this multi-millions dollar gourmet company, with Char its President. Justin’s wife Amy and precious daughter, Grace, taste test new products and model for the company catalog. Daughter, Emma, is a teacher in North Carolina, but helps out occasionally at trade shows. Sadly, David passed away in February, 2004. Pelican Bay Ltd’s eternal “Mr. Wonderful” imbued a spirit of family and tradition that carries on today.
Pelican Bay Ltd. has grown from a kitchen table business into a wonderful new facility. In 2002, with clear vision for the future, the company renovated an existing home improvement store in Historic Dunedin. The charming; new building boasts a Key West style exterior complete with Koi fish in the front fountain. The completely air conditioned 35,000 sq. ft. interior includes a Florida salt water fish tank that invites your arrival in the lobby, test kitchen for product development, office and warehouse space. The result is a relaxed, creative atmosphere in which to work and special place for customers to shop.
The extensive product line now includes a variety of mixes, including children’s baking mixes, cookies, scones, breads, pies, cakes, cappuccinos, hot chocolates, holiday teas, summer sparklers, tropical fruit fizzes, Chai mixes, iced teas, lemonade, holiday beverages, fondue mixes, spices, barbecue rubs, stuffing, cheese spreads and dipping herbs.
In addition to the original dip mixes, Pelican Bay Ltd. also carries a variety of creative gift items for teachers, pets, and kits for children such as the “I can Make My Very Own Lemonade Stand” kit complete with lemonade: mix, cups, a jumbo crayon and paper to make a sign and the “I Can Bake Crunchy Eyeball Cookies for Halloween” and the “I Can Bake Sugar Cookies for Santa and Rudolph”. These products and our new “S’mores Fondue Mix” are consistent best sellers and emphasize the fun factor present in all Pelican Bay Ltd. products.
No longer are the days of orders being hidden in a shoebox under the bed. Pelican Bay Ltd. offers same day shipping, a convenient toll-free number, and a website for fast and easy online ordering. Pelican Bay Ltd. also offers private labeling, as well as custom packaging and blending designed specifically for your company’s needs.
For more information on any of the products or services listed above, please call 1-800-826-8982 or view our on-line catalog. Char and her family look forward to working with you in the future and hope to hear from you soon.
— Char, Justin and everyone at Pelican Bay Ltd.