The Christmas Countdown Has Begun
We are only a few days away from Christmas, and of course, we have last-minute shopping on our minds. At CTTC, we work with well over a dozen hill country communities and most of the people in our communities depend on small local businesses to provide what is needed for their families, especially when it is a last-minute need. So we wanted to highlight a couple of our favorite small businesses offering great last-minute gift ideas.
The Importance of Shopping Local
According to Sustainable Connections, 58% of every $100 spent at a locally owned business recirculates and remains in the local economy. Whereas only 14% of funds spent with national retailers make their way back to the local economy. This is a really important statistic for small towns because even the slightest shift away from local businesses can have a major impact on city economics. Not to mention that when it comes to service, you cannot beat being able to walk in and get expert advice first hand from someone who has been hired to get to know their products and build relationships within the community. Small businesses donate 250% more per employee to local charitable causes than large, national competitors. So now that you know why to shop local, here are a couple of our last-minute picks:
Photo: pecans.com
Pecans.com
Pecans.com is located in Goldthwaite, Texas and provides gourmet pecans, pies, honey butter, preservatives, and lots of great gift baskets. Pecans.com does a great deal of business online, thanks to having lightning-fast internet from CTTC, but also has a retail storefront, as well as some products being available at Schwartz Food Store and McMahan Pharmacy in Goldthwaite.
Pecans.com is a CCOF, USDA and Kosher certified organic pecan shelling facility and is one of the few organic pecan shelling facilities in Texas.
Although the Pecans.com namesake itself was unrealized until the 1990s, the history of the company dates back to around 1971. It all began when owner DeWayne McCasland and his father, Homer McCasland, decided to purchase a ranch in Mills County to raise cattle.
“We were cowboys who raised chickens, turkeys, goats, sheep and cattle,” DeWayne recalls. “We didn’t know anything about growing pecans. We bought this place, and it had lots of trees on it. It looked pretty and we thought we’d take care of it.” The next year they gathered the nuts and realized they were more profitable to sell than cattle.
Here are a few pecan-themed gift suggestions from pecans.com:
So check out the pecans.com website, they ship all over the USA, for last-minute ideas, or if you are in Goldthwaite, visit their retail store for pecans, gift baskets, and much more.
Photo: Fiesta Winery
FIESTA VINEYARD AND WINERY
Over the last decade, there has been a boom in the Texas wine industry. While California is still the king of wine consumption in the United States, Texas is now 4th in overall wine consumption. With Texans consuming over 60,000 gallons of wine in 2018 according to statista.com, it is no wonder wineries and vineyards are popping up all over the hill country.
One of our favorites is Fiesta Vineyard and Winery in Bend, Texas. Fiesta Winery has multiple locations, but Bend is the heart of the Fiesta Winery brand; it is the homestead of the Baxter Ranch (which has been in the family for six generations). It is located near the Colorado Bend River and is where all of their great-tasting, award-winning wines are bottled.
The Fiesta Estate Vineyard was planted in 2010, with grapes that were selected for the Texas climate and soils. Over time, the vineyard has produced a wide variety of wines and countless award-winners. Visit any of the locations for a guided wine tasting or attend one of the many events; you quickly will become a Fiesta fan! Fiesta also has a quarterly Wine Club (a great gift idea) with three different tiers that suit all levels of wine drinkers.
Here are a few fun recommendations by Fiesta for the holiday season:
- Sweet Dreams (Seasonal – This sweet red wine is silky and smooth with a full finish. Full of the aroma of sweet, ripe raspberry.)
- Christmas Cheer (This rich red wine offers delightful notes of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg.)
- Heart of Texas Red (Full-bodied blend of Tannat and Primitivo gives this wine an Old World feel with luxurious tannins and soft black raspberry.)
For last-minute gifts, you can shop their online store, or visit any of their locations in Bend, Fredericksburg, or Marble Falls.
Fiber Internet Makes Small Business More Powerful
Pecans.com and Fiesta Vineyard and Winery depend on their CTTC fiber internet connection to reliably support their online businesses. Whether it is the shipping of shelled pecans all over the USA, or online events and wine club sales, our CTTC small business customers have an advantage thanks to our reliable fiber internet connection that is over twice as fast as the competition. It makes online selling easy and helps small businesses compete in the global marketplace and our small businesses help put our small Texas towns on the map!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from CTTC!
At CTTC, we are proud to serve local businesses in our community and we hope that you will give them your support for holiday gift-giving. Merry Christmas from all of us at CTTC and have a Happy New Year!