Aaron Lind, owner of Mountain Star Products in Afton, stepped into the SVI Radio Studio on Wednesday, May 13 after named as the May Business of the Month by the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce.

(0:00) This is the weekday wake up on the SVI Radio Network. (0:04) At 8.35, heading into our first guest interview segment (0:06) for the day today in the monthly (0:08) Star Valley Chamber of Commerce interview (0:10) with the business of the month. (0:12) And the chamber’s main business of the month (0:14) is MountainStar Products owner Aaron Lin.

(0:17) Joining me live in studio this morning. (0:19) Aaron, good morning, how are you today? (0:20) Good, how you doing, Duke? (0:21) Doing well, appreciate it. (0:22) Congratulations on being the business of the month (0:24) and talking with the Star Valley Chamber.

(0:26) It sounds like they chose you (0:27) because of your recent, of course, expansion (0:30) and kind of doing a first for the Star Valley community (0:33) with serving everything for a contractor, (0:36) basically, with what you’ve done. (0:39) So how’s things been going so far (0:41) with your expansion since your grand opening last month? (0:43) Yeah, no, it’s been going really good. (0:45) We’ve come a long ways and when we started this, (0:48) it was a business that I had acquired (0:51) and the store part of it was the second part (0:55) that we worked on upgrading it (0:58) and knew that this was a missing part for our community (1:02) and just kept hearing the stories (1:03) of people having to drive to Idaho Falls (1:05) to go pick up simple things (1:07) to do what needs to be done here in the valley.

(1:10) So that’s kind of how it all started. (1:12) And then the snowball went from there. (1:14) The snowball went from there.

(1:15) That’s part of my own demise, I guess, (1:17) as my own worst enemy. (1:20) Yeah, so walk us through the process of, (1:22) because retail is new for you. (1:24) That’s right.

(1:24) From what you’ve told me. (1:25) And so walk us through the process of creating this, (1:28) working with vendors and getting everything in stock. (1:30) Yeah, no, it’s been a monumental task.

(1:33) Honestly, when we started, the way the business was run, (1:39) they would mainly buy their products (1:41) from one vendor in Idaho Falls (1:43) who may have given us a discount, not really sure, (1:46) and then we would market up 32%. (1:48) So that’s how the business was run originally. (1:50) We are now direct with so many different vendors.

(1:56) So if I can’t bring value to the community, (1:58) we just don’t wanna bring it. (1:59) So we’re definitely looking for feedback, (2:01) but we have got direct on so many different manufacturers. (2:05) The poly pipe prices are way down.

(2:07) I know that our culvert’s probably cheapest (2:09) in four states right now. (2:11) We’re trying to cater more towards contractors, (2:15) but definitely doing all the homeowner stuff. (2:17) The greenhouse is a new addition.

(2:20) Nate Campbell’s helped put all that together (2:22) and done a phenomenal job on that. (2:25) That’s not my forte, (2:26) but he’s the right guy for the job on that. (2:28) He definitely knows what grows in this area (2:30) and what doesn’t.

(2:31) Well, that’s just the thing is it’s all designed, (2:33) like you said, for the local contractor (2:35) and everything from the plumbing, the electrical, (2:38) the landscaping, even irrigation for both the- (2:42) Commercial and residential. (2:43) Correct, and agriculture and everything, right? (2:45) Yeah, we’re doing all that. (2:46) So all your wheel line parts and all that.

(2:48) And when we acquired the company from the Peebler family, (2:52) that was all there, (2:54) and that was kind of one of their main fortes (2:56) that they did was deal with that. (2:57) So we still do all that, (2:58) and it’s all pretty well organized in the back, (3:02) and we have prices on everything now, (3:04) so it’s all kind of upfront and easy to see and understand. (3:07) Yeah, I do wanna ask you about the gravel pit, (3:09) but sticking with what you’re doing (3:11) with the retail location, what’s next? (3:14) Are you gonna continue to try and grow (3:16) and fill it out as time goes on? (3:17) Yeah, we’re working on a couple things (3:18) that I don’t wanna mention just yet, (3:20) because I gotta make sure that the value’s there (3:23) for the community.

(3:24) If I can’t bring value, I don’t wanna bring it. (3:27) But we are working on some stuff there, (3:29) and I know that we’re gonna need already, (3:32) I’m thinking we’re gonna need to do some expansion (3:34) just to have more inventory for the contractor, (3:39) so more bulk. (3:40) That’s awesome.

(3:42) Aaron Linden, Studio Mountainstar Products. (3:44) The Starbuckley Chamber of Commerce (3:45) May Business of the Month. (3:47) Over the last couple of years, (3:48) you have told me that you’ve done a lot of improvements (3:50) to the gravel pit at Mountainstar as well, right? (3:52) Yeah, yeah, so the gravel pit, when we started, (3:55) it was a 35-acre pit, and it’s now a 70-acre pit.

(4:00) We went from producing like 60 tons an hour (4:02) to where our primary crusher, (4:05) which is all electric now, can do 500 tons an hour. (4:08) We just got our wash plant done. (4:11) We are doing currently 21 SKUs out of that pit, (4:15) which I think is probably the most (4:17) of any pit in Star Valley.

(4:20) So we also got, we sent people to school (4:24) for getting certified by the state (4:26) for state-spec materials, chips, C33 sand now that we have, (4:30) concrete, rock, and road base. (4:34) Wow, so again, everything from the homeowner (4:37) to all the way up to the road builders. (4:40) Yeah, and we have all that at Mountainstar.

(4:42) For the homeowners, we have that whole line there. (4:44) Most of our SKUs are at Mountainstar right now (4:48) to load into dump trailers and pickup trucks and even ATVs. (4:52) Okay, again, Mountainstar Products, (4:54) the Star Valley Chamber of Commerce (4:56) May Business of the Month.

(4:57) Aaron, you have a background in military, (5:00) and so what motivates you to do all of this? (5:04) I mean, with what your military background was, (5:07) why Mountainstar Products, and why have you been (5:10) so motivated to take these steps? (5:12) Yeah, that’s a great question, (5:13) and usually when someone says it’s a great question, (5:15) it’s because they don’t know. (5:17) It’s valid, yeah. (5:19) So yeah, I mean, I’m just driven to go.

(5:22) That’s kind of been in my DNA. (5:25) I currently run four businesses as president, (5:28) and we do cattle also, so our family ranches, (5:34) and yeah, I just like to keep diversified. (5:38) So we pushed hard on this, (5:40) but I push hard in life in general.

(5:42) Perfect, anything else about Mountainstar Products (5:45) that you feel like we should mention? (5:46) Yeah, well, there’s a couple of things that definitely, (5:49) so we’ve added on delivery, (5:51) so we have a whole fleet of trucks, (5:53) so we can do everything from belly dumps (5:54) to side dumps and end dumps and transport, (5:58) but we also have the smaller pickup, the Ford F-550, (6:01) now that we can do local delivery smaller, (6:03) like if someone wants one yard of topsoil (6:05) delivered to their place, we can do that. (6:08) Crane service, we have our own crane. (6:12) We have certified operators for that crane, (6:14) so that’s something new.

(6:17) We also have gotten our Army Corps permit nationwide (6:21) for, we’re allowed, we’re legal to do work in water, (6:26) so bank rehabilitation, Salt River, creeks, local creeks, (6:31) any of that, we’re permitted to do that now, (6:34) and we’re set up to do it, (6:36) so pond digging is another one. (6:39) We’ve done several large ponds (6:40) that are Picassos, I would say, (6:43) for the people that are trying to do something really nice, (6:46) big water features, and we’re savvy on doing all of that. (6:52) Helical pile driving, another thing (6:54) that we’ve gotten into doing that’s, (6:56) it’s big for the contractors, (6:57) the guys that know what helical piles are.

(7:00) It expedites building tremendously, (7:02) so we sent guys to school for that, (7:04) and we have our own pile driving equipment, (7:06) and that led us into building docks (7:10) and all that too, so we can dig a pond, (7:12) build a dock on that pond for you, (7:14) and do the whole thing. (7:15) Wow, so literally the one-stop shop (7:17) for all of it, then, it sounds like. (7:19) Very cool.

(7:20) Well, Aaron, appreciate your time today. (7:22) Congratulations on MountainStar Products (7:23) being the star of the Chamber of Commerce (7:25) May Business of the Month, (7:26) and look forward to hear what’s coming up. (7:28) Anything else? (7:29) Yeah, just one last thing I’d like to add (7:31) is that I’m blessed and been fortunate (7:37) with my family and my life, (7:40) and one of the things I attribute (7:42) for the young listeners out there (7:44) is if you want to be successful, (7:47) try and stay on a good path, (7:49) and drugs and alcohol won’t get you there, (7:53) so that’s my, put your head down, (7:56) go to work, get it done, (7:58) and make smart decisions.

(8:00) Good advice, absolutely. (8:01) Aaron, appreciate your time today. (8:03) Thanks so much.

(8:03) Thank you. (8:03) It’s all part of the Weekday Wakeup this morning (8:05) on the SBI Radio Network.