- Visit the Photo Place

ANITA & LARRY GROUND

Larry and Anita Ground are the owners of Appalachian Kettle Korn

Date published: 7/25/2007

ABOUT THE BUSINESS: Larry and Anita Ground operate the business out of their Fredericksburg home. They sell Kettle Korn at special events in the area and also through their Web site. According to the Web site, Anita is the boss while Larry handles the cooking.

The following answers are from Anita Ground.

EDUCATION: I'm working on my Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Wisconsin. I also have an M.B.A. from the University of Kansas.

FAMILY: Married for 31 years to Larry. Two children: Courtney, 21, and Eric, 15.

CAREER HISTORY: After college, I followed Larry in his Army career, working in hospitals in Oklahoma, Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Louisiana and Kansas. In 1991, I went to work for Cerner Corp. as a consultant for hospitals implementing new health care information systems.

FIRST JOB: After-school janitor at my high school.

WORST JOB: I really haven't had a bad job, but some have been in bad places. The last two years I've been consulting at a hospital in Ontario, Canada. I love Canada, but it snows a whole lot.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? In the middle of nowhere Kentucky.

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? A mechanic. I took an Air Force aptitude test in high school, and it said I would be a good mechanic. At Christmastime, when the presents say "some assembly required," I have a blast.

HOW DID YOU END UP OWNING APPALACHIAN KETTLE KORN? We saw Bill and Natalie Phillips, the previous owners, at the 2004 Fall Harvest Festival. We bought some Kettle Korn and asked them about business. We discovered they were looking to get out of the business, and I thought my husband needed something to help keep him busy on the weekends.

WHAT IS THE KEY TO RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS? Thinking ahead and lining up future work well in advance. We're always looking six to 12 months out.

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DECISION YOU'RE WRESTLING WITH NOW? We're trying to hold our prices steady despite the rising costs of popcorn and everything else that goes into making Kettle Korn.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT YOUR JOB? Cleaning the copper kettle.

Follow us on

Date published: 7/25/2007