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BUILDING BRIDGES
Supporting businesses by lending good money to good businesses.
December 2011 - Vol 4, Issue 12
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| Greetings! |
 Merry Christmas to all of our clients, customers, families and friends receiving our monthly newsletter. This joyous season of the year in which the world celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ is an opportunity to open our hearts to others. We hope our December issue provides some fun and interesting insights about what helps to make Christmas special.
We had a unique, last-minute opportunity to feature Sam and Mary Lauderdale as our December Entrepreneurs, and I know you will enjoy reading their story. We wish you happiness this Christmas season! Lisa Mazon |
| $$$ Refer & Earn $$$ | |
Business contacts, friends, family and acquaintances -- you just never know when someone you know might need Mazon's accounts receivable services.
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| Christmas Prayer | |
God grant you the light in Christmas, which is faith; the warmth of Christmas, which is love; the radiance of Christmas, which is purity; the righteousness of Christmas, which is justice; the belief in Christmas, which is truth; the all of Christmas, which is Christ.
-- Wilda English, n.d.
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| December's Entrepreneurs: Sam and Mary Lauderdale | |
 It doesn't take long for folks to latch on to a good thing. And it certainly didn't take long for Mary of Puddin Hill to become a tradition for those who like to give -- and eat -- superb treats at holiday time. In fact, this Greenville, Texas company has become world famous for the delights that come from its kitchens: fruitcakes, pecan pies, chocolates, cookies and candies.
The Mary of Puddin Hill tradition began in 1840 when James and Mary Horton came to the heart of the Blackland Prairie region of northeast Texas. James had received 620 acres of land as payment for his services to the Republic of Texas. As his descendants like to tell it, the new country was short on money, but long on land, so that's how James was paid.
It had rained the day the Hortons arrived at their new home. Rainwater makes any patch of blackland soil a soggy, gummy mess and, despite the conditions, James insisted that he and his family look around the site. He led them to the crest of a small hill, while Mary struggled through the thick, black mud. "This is like walking through pudding," she said. It was inspiration enough. James spread his arms wide and proudly shouted, "Well then, welcome to Puddin Hill!" That Mary Horton was the first "Mary" on Puddin Hill, and it was her recipe for pecan fruitcake that was passed on from generation to generation as a holiday tradition.
 In 1948, more than a century later, Mary's great-granddaughter, Mary Horton Lauderdale, and her husband Sam were students at the University of Texas. Mary was a home economics graduate and Sam was a G.I. Bill chemical engineering student. "The G.I. Bill allowed us $90 a month and we were hungrier than that," recalls Mary. At Christmas, Mary gave a fruitcake baked from the heirloom recipe to her home economics professors, who said, "If you ever need any extra money, this cake will sell." The next Christmas, Mary and Sam started making fruitcakes in their tiny apartment. Mary's parents loaned them money to buy the ingredients, and friends helped prepare the cakes. Five hundred pounds of fruitcake later, they realized that they might be on to something.
 Sam and Mary decided to return to Mary's hometown of Greenville and give the business several years of all-out effort. They converted the laundry room at Mary's parents' home into a small bakery and went to work. The business grew and, several years later, they were able to purchase a few acres of the Puddin Hill Farm to build a new facility. They continued to grow and improve every year since then. They baked thousands of pounds of fruitcake over the years, and added chocolates and other baked goods to their product line.
Great-grandmother Mary Horton's original recipe was never changed. The cakes (pecan, apricot and walnut varieties) are still made with an abundance of nuts, cherries, pineapple and dates with just enough batter to hold it all together, using no spices or citron, and no preservatives or additives. "Little Puds" are made with the same recipe, but are miniature fruitcakes individually baked for serving convenience. They are named for the Lauderdale's' daughter, Pud. "She was nicknamed 'Little Pud' before she was even born," Mary relates.
 The Puddin Hill Store was added in 1975, and in 1980 the candy kitchen was added. Here, luscious treats such as caramel and pecan clusters and rich fudge are covered in melted chocolate. A crunchy nut brittle loaded with pecans, appropriately called "Pecan Krunch," is cooked in the copper pots and poured out onto cooling tables where it is rolled into a thin layer. Elsewhere, molded chocolates are prepared for the retail store.
In 1996, Mary was named president of Retail Confectioners International, the global association for small retail candy manufacturers. In 1998, she received the prestigious Kettle Award from the candy industry, recognizing her as candy manufacturer of the year.
 Mary and Sam ran the 43,000 square foot bakery/factory until it was sold in 1999 to Ken Bain, a certified public accountant. Ken said he was not looking to buy a business at the time but agreed as it was a good basis for a good operation and he liked the products. All of Ken and wife Cynthia's sons (including Cynthia) have worked for the company at one time or another. Under Ken's ownership, he has maintained respect for the company's past and hasn't changed much of what had already been done.
While the company sells pecan cakes, fruitcakes, candies, etc. all year long, in December product sales swell to well over a thousand cakes making the Christmas season a hectic but happy time of year. Production is typically stepped up in September when the 25-employee base is increased to about 70. Up to half a million catalogs are mailed out and orders come in from all over the United States. Shipping the orders presents a challenge as thousands of packages are mailed in early December. After Christmas, the place again settles down. The catalog business and the Mary of Puddin Hill Store keeps everyone busy year-round.
 Because the factory and store are located on Interstate 30 in Greenville, it attracts many travelers. There are tempting samples of many Puddin Hill products, and visitors are urged to try them. The store also carries gourmet foods, one-of-a-kind gift packages, cookbooks and a wide variety of candies. Other highlights include specially designed and commemorative giant Easter eggs made of chocolate, a doll house built of 300 pounds of white chocolate and a large carousel with chocolate ponies, all created by renowned artist, Roberta Gustafson.
In early 2011, the company faced economic challenges as well as a down-turn in traffic flow to the store due to months of heavy highway construction in Greenville. In May 2011, Ken made the tough decision to close the retail store and deli with its three dining rooms (137 seats), In August the company was nearly sold but with new financial support, Ken reopened the retail store in early November, and expects sales this year to quickly rebound.
 After selling the business in 1999, Mary's time was consumed caring for her husband, Sam, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer 's disease and passed away in 2001. Upon Sam's death, Mary said she "flunked retirement," and reinvented herself several times over by working with a catering business, helping her grandsons with their business, and in 2005 working at a retail store in downtown Greenville. Even as she battled cancer for a third time, Mary refused to give up, missing as little time at work as possible and inspiring everyone with her courage and sheer determination, showing everyone that life is always an open book to be lived with a sense of adventure. She passed away at home on October 4, 2011. Mary would have celebrated her 86th birthday on December 1st.
Visit http://www.puddinhill.com/ for more information about Mary of Puddin Hill products.
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| Numbers In the News |
 The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in New York City is known as the unofficial national tree. It is nearly always a Norway spruce, not native to the United States, and will not be found naturally in any North American forest. It is usually planted as an ornamental. Tree growers send in tree photos with hope that their tree might be selected. The rockefeller Center Gardens manager is always looking for the perfect tree. The top annual selections are flown over, critically inspected and the best tree picked.
The desired dimension for a Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a minimum of 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide. A tree smaller than that will only be considered as a future candidate. Trees from 75 to 90 feet tall are the preferred size and the tree is usually older than 50 years. After the tree is cut, the head gardener for Rockefeller Center counts the stump rings to get a more accurate measure of its age. A Norway spruce typically lives about as long as a human, from 80 to 100 years.
The tradition of the tree began in the Great Depression during the construction of the Rockefeller Center complex in 1931. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tradition formally began in 1933 when a tree, strung with 700 lights, was placed in front of the old RCA Building, now the GE Building. A Rockefeller Plaza outdoor ice skating pond was added in 1936. NBC-TV first televised the tree lighting in 1951 and as part of the nationwide "Howdy Doody" television shop from 1953-55.
The farthest distance a tree has ever traveled was approximately 518 miles -- from Ottawa, Canada.
The tree travels in the middle of the night with a police escort on a carefully planned route so traffic is disrupted as little as possible.
The first nationally televised Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting was in 1951 on the "Kate Smith Show."
It takes two dozen electricians on scaffolding to decorate the branches with 30,000 lights attached to five miles of wire.
(Source: Steve Nix, About.com Guide)
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| How can I "earn" money by Mazon factoring my invoices? | |
 Mazon works with your business by purchasing your business-to-business invoices for products and services provided to customers. Our combined services function as your accounts receivable clerk, collections clerk and customer service person (i.e. handling address changes, help with invoices, payments and more) for your business. As a result of utilizing our services, you may choose to not fill those positions within your company (which can include healthcare and employment taxes). (DFW Metro area cost of full-time accounts receivable clerk = $12-17/hr.) Our factoring fees start at just 5% of each invoice, and can go as low as 2.25% depending on how much you factor with us.
Additionally, when you factor your invoices with Mazon, you earn interest on your account if you have more money in your reserve account than in your accounts receivable balance.
Adding to that, Mazon offers you a monthly referral payment of 10% of our factoring fee when you refer a new client to Mazon (example: $1,000 fee @ 10% = $100). This is paid to you each month for as long as the business remains a Mazon client!
When Christmas rolls around each year, you and/or your employees can enjoy the holidays with a happy heart made possible with the money you earned by factoring your invoices throughout the year.
If you would like to find out more about our factoring services for your business and/or apply for an account with Mazon Associates, please phone us at 972-554-6967 (toll-free 800-442-2740) or visit our website www.mazon.com.
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| Christmas Legends to Warm the Heart: The Christmas Tree | |
 Christmas legends make up a comfortable part of any Christmas. For example, the story of the Magi, Santa's orgins, the Night Before Christmas, and, if you're from certain parts of the world, the purpose of the mysterious Black Peter provide excellent examples of Christmas legend. But there are some things about Christmas that most of us just take for granted, unaware that they have any significance at all. Take the Christmas tree, for example. Do you know the Christmas tree legend? Take your pick ....
Actually, several varieties of the legend of the Christmas tree exist. Most originate with the old German tradition of Tannenbaum (the Fir Tree), possibly celebrated as part of Yule, one of the tributary holidays of our modern Christmas.
Ultimately, the notion of "Christmas tree" appears to derive from the eighth century, when St. Boniface ordered a sacred oak tree chopped down to prove that it wasn't sacred at all. It crushed every tree in its path when it fell, except a fir tree it miraculously missed. Boniface declared that this lucky tree represented the Christ Child.
Thereafter, German Christians celebrated the holiday by planting fir saplings. Eventually, they started chopping those down too, and started bringing them into their homes in the winter. These first Christmas trees stood undecorated. Well, okay, but ....
Fast-forward about 900 years and we see modern-style Christmas trees appearing in German homes, complete with decorations (including paper roses, gilt, sugar, and apples). The province of Alsace even regulated how tall the trees stood (no more than eight shoes' length).
Incidentally, any kind of evergreen tree counted as a Christmas tree, though firs remained popular. Apple-hung pine trees, common to medieval religious plays, contributed to the Christmas tree tradition as well. By the 17th century, modern Chriustmas trees started to spread throughout Europe and Scandinavia.
Bright light! Bright light! According to one interesting legend of Christmas, Marthin Luther (the founder of Lutheranism) deserves thanks for Christmas lights. It's said he was fascinated by the sight of stars twinkling through the evergreens one night, so he set out to reproduce the effect with candles in a Christmas tree.
Prince Albert brought the tradition to England when he married Queen Victoria, and "spread the light," so to speak, to the rest of the Christian world from there. The first electric Christmas lights appeared on a Finnish tree in 1906, and lit up America by 1912.
And there you have it -- the legend of the Christmas tree. You might not have known it had one before, but just about everything Christmassy has roots in a Christmas legend. And now you can add it to the list of Christmas legends you pass on to your children.
(Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All Rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. For almost everything you wanted to know about Christmas traditions, visit www.ChristmasLore.com).
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| Crime Alert! | |
 The U.S. Postal Inspection Service recently issued the following nationwide Crime Alert: "BEWARE OF SPAM! Bogus Delivery Messages E-Mailed to Postal Customers."
Some postal customers are receiving bogus e-mails about a package delivery. The e-mails contain a link that, when opened, installs a malicious virus that can steel personal information from your PC. The e-mails claim to be from the U.S. Postal Service and contain fraudulent information about an attempted or intercepted package delivery. You are instructed to click on a link to find out when you can expect your delivery. But Postal Inspectors warn: Do not click on the link! Like most viruses sent by e-mail, clicking on the link will activate a virus that can steel information such as your user name, password and financial account information.
What to do? Simply delete the message without taking any further action. The Postal Inspection Service is working hard to resolve the issue and shut down the malicious program. If you have questions about a delivery or wish to report spam, please call 1-800-ASK-USPS.
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| Product Recalls and Alerts |
 The following recent recalls were issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. More details can be found at www.cpsc.gov. To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at 800-638-2772 or visit http://SaferProducts.gov.
Liebherr Freestanding 30-inch Wide Bottom Freezer Refrigerators (Imp: Liebherr-Canada, Ontario, Canada); Ashland(TM) Glass Vase (Dist: Michaels Stores, Irving, TX); Joss Rock Climbing Cam (Imp: Sierra Trading Post, Cheyenne, WY); Microfiber Glider Recliners with Ottomans and Leather Glider Recliners with Ottomans (Sold at Big Lots stores nationwide Jan. 2005 thru Dec. 2009); Fireside Gel Fuel Bottles (Mfg: 2 Burn, Milwaukee, WI); GE Monogram Pro Rangetop with Grill (Imp: General Electric Appliances, Louisville, KY); Fantasy Glass Bowls (Imp: Liberty Glass, Toledo, OH); Bad Boy Buggies Off-Road Utility Vehicles (Mfg: BB Buggies, Augusta, GA and Bad Boy Enterprises, Natchez, MS); Hand Trucks (Mfg: Harper Trucks, Wichita, KS); PAX AURLAND Wardrobe Mirror Doors (Imp/Retailer: IKEA North America Service, Conshohocken, PA); Winchester Hunting Knife Sets (Imp: Gerber Legendary Blades, Portland, OR).
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| December 2011 Holidays, Observances, Celebrations and Events | |
 Dec. 1: World AIDS Awareness Day; Dec. 5: Day of the Ninja; Dec. 7: Pearl Harbor Day; Dec. 10: Human Rights Day, Nobel Prize Day; Dec. 12: Poinsettia Day; Dec. 15: Bill of Rights Day; Dec. 16: Boston Tea Party; Dec. 17: Wright Brothers Day; Dec. 20: Louisiana Purchase Day; Dec. 21: First Day of Winter, Haukkah Begins, Forefather's Day; Dec. 25: Christmas Day; Dec. 26: Kwanzaa Begins; Boxing Day; Dec. 31: New Year's Eve Day.
Notice: Mazon offices will be closed on Monday, December 26th in observance of the Sunday Christmas holiday. We will resume normal business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 27th. You may still submit invoices during our closed hours via fax, e-mail or drop-slot to be processed on Tuesday.
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| Holiday Mail for Heroes, 2011 | |
 The Red Cross-sponsored "Holiday Mail For Heroes" program is now in its fifth year! As in previous years, they will partner with Pitney Bowes to collect holiday cards from regular citizens all across the country and distribute them to service members, veterans, and their families. If you're looking for a fun way to give back a little bit this holiday season, this is a great opportunity. Send cards to the following address:
 Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456
All cards must be postmarked no later than Friday, December 9th. Cards postmarked after this date will unfortunately be returned to the sender. This deadline ensures enough time to sort and distribute cards before the holidays. After the mailbox closes, the cards received will be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working around the country.
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| Thoughtful Thoughts | |
 A group of students were asked to list what they thought were the present "Seven Wonders of the World." Although there were some disagreements, the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. Taj Mahal
3. Grand Canyon
4. Panama Canal
5. Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student had not yet finished her paper. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help." The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the 'Seven Wonders of the World' are:
1. To See
2. To Hear
3. To Touch
4. To Taste
5. To Feel
6. To Laugh
7. And to Love"
The room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. The things we overlook as simple and ordinary and that we take for granted are truly wondrous! A gentle reminder, that the most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought by man.
-- Contributed by Jeff Newman, Arlington, TX
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| Cold Winter Forecast | |
 One day in early September, the chief of a Native American tribe was asked by his tribal elders if the winter was going to be cold or mild. The chief was at a loss for an answer and asked his medicine man, who replied that he had lost touch with the reading signs from the natural world around the Great Lakes. In truth, neither of them had any idea about how to predict the coming winter. So, the chief decided to take a modern approach and he phoned the National Weather Service in Gaylord Michigan.
"Yes, it is going to be a cold winter," the meteorological officer told the chief. The chief then went back to his tribe and told the men to collect plenty of firewood.
Two weeks later, the chief called the Weather Service and asked for an update. "Are you still forecasting a cold winter?" he asked.
"Yes, very cold," the weather officer told him. As a result of this brief conversation, the chief went back to the tribe and told his people to collect every bit of wood they could find.
A month later the chief called the National Weather Service once more and asked about the coming winter. "Yes," he was told, "it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever."
"How can you be so sure?" the chief asked.
The weatherman replied, "Because the Native Americans of the Great Lakes are collecting wood like crazy."
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About
Our
Clients |
Our clients are traditionally businesses that are manufacturers, distributors and service companies in the following areas: advertising / marketing / apparel / design / courier / delivery services / equipment repair / equipment maintenance / environmental services / graphic design / signage / printing / staffing / employment services / security services / catering / food services / legal services / light construction / telecommunications / transportation.
Our clients may include start-up, early-stage growth and high growth businesses; under-capitalized businesses with historical operating losses; businesses with cash flow problems having a cash flow need; businesses with tax liens or turnaround situations; businesses who may have been turned down for bank loans and/or do not currently meet a bank's credit criteria.
Our clients have delivered services or products to other businesses and have business-to-business invoices that can be independently verified.
Most of our clients have come to us through referrals of current and former clients. We rely heavily on word-of-mouth marketing to bring in new clients -- and we offer a referral program.
Our clients are located in any of the 50 states in the U.S.A.
We do not accept as clients businesses which have a majority of consumer receivables such as retail businesses, progress billings, third party pay medical receivables and certain construction-related businesses.
For more information about becoming a client, please contact us by telephone 972-554-6967 ext. 238 or 1-800-442-2740, or visit our website www.mazon.com. | | |
 If you liked this issue of Building Bridges, please forward it to a friend. We invite you to share your newsletter thoughts with us. If you would like to submit an idea, article or joke for consideration in a future issue of Building Bridges, or just want to tell us how we are doing, please email us at MazonNewsletter@Mazon.com. Building Bridges carries no paid advertising. All articles, images and links are for our readers' knowledge and enjoyment only. (Mazon is now on Facebook!)
Mazon Associates, Inc. 600 W. Airport Fwy., Irving, TX 75062 P.O. Box 166858, Irving, TX 75016 Telephone: 972-554-6967 Toll Free: 800-442-2740 Fax: 972-554-0951 Business Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
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