The next time you attend a barbecue in a friend's back yard and he puts his own spice concoction on the hamburgers, it could be the start of a company.
That's what happened to members of an investment club 25 years ago. Today Onera Inc., 3320 S. 300 East, is selling its seasoning spices at a rapid pace, mainly through grocery stores and restaurants.At one of the investment club's functions, the late Dr. John Cook broiled some steaks and sprinkled on some of his secret spice recipe. The steaks were a hit.
About the same time, another member, Wallace Pack, a member of the Air Force Reserve, was assigned to direct his squadron's annual steak fry so he got some of Cook's spice concoction, made some modifications and put it on the steaks. It made such a hit that Pack was assigned to the steak fry for several years.
The spice blend was so popular with friends and associates that the investment club decided to put it on the market. It proved to be a popular item, but investment club members had their own jobs and couldn't spend much time in mixing the spices and marketing the product.
Called Onera, a Greek word meaning dreams, the company remained rather dormant. Gary Showell heard about Onera over the radio and talked to Cook about marketing it, but to Cook it was just a hobby. When Cook died, Showell contacted his widow and wanted to purchase the company. She suggested he contact Pack, who, coincidentally, lived two blocks from Showell.
In 1990, Pack and Showell bought out the two remaining stockholders. Another company fills small shaker bottles with the spices provided by Pack and Showell and labels are attached. They want to have their own filling, labeling and shipping operation soon.
The original recipe of Onera has been supplemented by "Fiesta Fajita" and "Cajun's Cajun," for those who like seasonings on the hot side. They also developed a counter display rack that can be seen at the meat department.
Although the company hasn't done much advertising, Onera has done rather well by relying on word of mouth advertising. It also has received dozens of testimonials from people who have used the seasonings on everything from scrambled eggs to pork chops.
Pack is working full-time to produce and promote Onera products and Showell will join him in a few months when he retires from his present job. Pack and Showell said sales are increasing daily and they have their product in grocery stores in Utah, Nevada, Idaho and California.