In 1974, Doug Ford founded Mountain Country Foods. They’ve been family owned and operated ever since. The company is one of the largest pet treat manufacturers in the United States, harnessing a well-oiled distribution center, strong product line and stellar reputation to turn bold ideas into successful products.
With locations in Utah and Oklahoma, Mountain Country has built a successful business by offering uncommon benefits to their employees, and a down-home willingness to do whatever it takes for their customers. Every time we at Eaglestone work with them, we come away impressed—and with a pointer or two on operating our own family-run business.
The Eaglestone and Mountain Country origins and conveyor systems
We began working with Mountain Country somewhere around 2016 because of common ground: a place where, to quote what Doug Ford said, a handshake actually means something. “After working with Eaglestone for years, I feel the same way,” said Mike Pearson, Maintenance Manager at Mountain Country Foods. “If something is wrong, they’re gonna get it right. And if we made the mistake, or forgot something, they try their best to resolve that, too.”
Hundreds of feet of pet food conveyors have been installed in Mountain Country facilities in recent years to help the cooldown process between oven and packaging. Several stories up, the pet treats come out of the oven and dispense onto conveyors, making a 35-foot journey. From that conveyor, they land onto another, continuing the cycle in a snake-like pattern until they arrive for packaging.
The Eaglestone difference: goodbye, guesswork
Those detailed conveyor systems require exact specifications and pinpoint design before the systems are built and installed. An inch or two off and you’re looking at serious potential issues. But at Eaglestone, we’re not content to cross our fingers and rely on guesswork, which brings us to what Pearson identified as a key differentiator: sophisticated 3D imaging.
“Their 3D laser scanner is truly amazing,” he said. “Really gives you peace of mind that the system will work. They show us our whole plant 3D imaged, then they fit our 3D drawings in to see exactly where it will fit. It takes all the guesswork out.”
“And overall, I really appreciate their can-do attitude. A handshake really does mean something to them. That’s the type of company Eaglestone is to me.”
Mountain Country: climbing high
Pearson sees a bright future at Mountain Country, good news for a place he described as a real-life dream job. “From my perspective, I’m at the best company in the country. No joke,” he said. “Top-tier benefits here, family-owned and a great place to be.”
Time will tell what conveyor projects Mountain Country will need in the future, but you can bet that we’ll be there, working alongside them to deliver a system that works great and lasts a good long time.
If you’re also looking for a more reliable partner that knows the power of a handshake and a can-do attitude, talk to Eaglestone about your next conveyor system. We’ll be there from initial napkin sketch to well after the installation.
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