WASHINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY (Washington County, Utah)
SCHOLZEN PRODUCTS COMPANY
(formerly SCHOLZEN PRODUCE COMPANY)
Hurricane and later St. George, Utah
LOCATION
548 West 100 NorthHurricane, Utah 84737
Telephone 471 in the 1941 telephone book (Scholzen Products Company)
Telephone 4301 in the 1954 telephone book (Scholzen Products Company)
Telephone MEdford 5-4441 in the 1958 telephone book (Scholzen Products Company Inc)
Telephone MEdford 5-4441 in the 1961 telephone book (Scholzen Products Company Inc)
Telephone 635-4441 in the 1972 telephone book (Scholzen Products Company Inc)
Telephone (435)635-4441 in the 2013 telephone book (Scholzen Products Company Inc)
1313 East 100 North
St. George, Utah 84770
(435)628-2626
1301 W. Sunset Blvd.
St. George, Utah 84770
(435)628-5211
http://www.scholzenproducts.com
HISTORY
Henry Scholzen was the founder of Scholzen Produce Company, which later became Scholzen Products Company.He was a pioneer to the present day Zion National Park Lodge, having set up a mess hall three years before the 1925 construction of the lodge. During that time, he married Mary Sanders and she became his partner. Their only child, Jack, became involved in their business adventures. He was driving trucks at age 14.
In 1928, Henry quit working for the Union Pacific Railroad and their subsidiary the Utah Parks Company. Fearing a transfer and not wanting to leave Southern Utah, he decided to go into business for himself. He raised chickens, turkeys, and rabbits and began selling them to the big restaurants in the Los Angeles area. On return trips he would freight in construction supplies for the Southern Utah contractors.
As economic conditions changed, Henry branched out into other product lines. Henry and Mary had the vision to see that the Union Pacific would not spend huge sums of money on park facilities without knowing that roads would be built to connect the parks, so they made plans and began contacting business houses. When road contractors began moving their road building equipment into Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, they were ready. They sold them everything from blasting powder to groceries and meat for their mess hall. For several seasons, from Spring until road conditions stopped for winter, Henry and Mary loaded their truck in Salt Lake City with supplies for the construction camps.
Henry and Mary sold supplies to contractors on the Zion National Park tunnel and highway. When the tunnel was completed in 1930, they began selling contractor equipment and supplies from a small warehouse in Hurricane. Thus, Scholzen Products Company, as it is known today, was born. However from 1928 to 1936 the business was known as Scholzen Produce Company.
As Henry & Mary's son, Jack, got older, he went with his father on selling trips. He followed his father into the Scholzen warehouses and helped him fill customer orders. Before he could read, Jack could figure and knew every price on every item that was carried in stock at the company. During his close association with his father, Jack acquired his father's business ability and sincere feeling of civic responsibility.
When Jack was fifteen, Henry was in a terrible car accident. Jack had to leave school to see that the deliveries were made. Henry finally recovered, but the years of hard work and long hours took its toll on his health. Henry died on July 18, 1951 leaving his son, Jack, with the responsibility of carrying on the business at the age of 26.
Jack died September 19, 1987 leaving the family business with his six children.