16 S G M A G A Z I N E | W I N T E R 2 0 1 7 - 2 0 1 8 Lauri Jo Bennett Turns Love of Cooking Into Growing Business All businesses—large or small—have to start somewhere. For Lauri Jo Bennett it began with a love for cooking and a few of her great- grandmother’s favorite recipes. While Bennett began her entrepreneurial journey as a teacher by day and canner by night, she quickly realized that something had to give. “I was teaching special education, something I had wanted to do for years,” Bennett said. “And at night I would start canning, staying up until 1 or 2 a.m.” Bennett said with a lot of prayers and faith, she quit her teaching job and launched Lauri Jo’s Southern Style Canning full time. “We rented a café in town that just served lunch and then started canning in the afternoon,” Bennett said. “Then we rented another restaurant that had closed and started canning all day.” As one of Georgia’s most famous food entrepreneurs, Bennett said it hasn’t always been easy. “We grew really fast and had some rocky times,” she said. “Growing is good, but it can also be bad at the same time. There were a lot of growing pains.” A popular agritourism destination on Georgia Grown Trail 37, Lauri Jo’s Southern Style Canning operates from a custom designed 4,000-square-foot canning and processing facility, along with a small storefront. Located in Norman Park, with a population of less than 1,000, Lauri Jo’s Southern Style Canning now has more than 40 products sold in retail stores, gift shops, and major grocery store chains across the U.S. As sales increased, Bennett knew she needed help in managing the growth of the business. In 2015, it was the answer to prayers when Bennett welcomed Layne Varnedoe, from Homerville, as her business partner. “Having Layne as a partner has been a blessing,” Bennett said. “I will be the first to tell you I am not a business person. I am the face, the mouth, and the salesperson.” Varnedoe, who shares Bennett’s background as a former teacher and small business owner, said they bring different talents and contributions to the business. “Having a partner allows you to bounce ideas off each other,” Bennett said. “I get a lot of ideas and want to try them all, and Layne will say, ‘pump the breaks,’ and that’s when I stop, and together we think it through.” Varnedoe said having a partner also allows for increased sales and development of new products. For example, this year Lauri Jo’s introduced gift boxes. The seasonally themed boxes are available for purchase individually or as a set of six boxes delivered every other month. The seasonal boxes contain items from Lauri Jo’s expansive line of products that are perfect for each season. From Valentine’s Day to Christmas and occasions in between, anyone can share Lauri Jo’s products with family and friends.