BENTONVILLE — The juicing industry is booming, and Norwalk is reaping the benefits.
The company has manufactured and sold its hydraulic press juicer in Lowell for 32 of its 78-year history. Operations will soon move to a larger factory in Bentonville.
“We were growing too fast for our current site,” said Carol Witte, Norwalk president.
The move from 808 S. Bloomington St. in Lowell to 2731 S.E. Otis Corley Drive in Bentonville nearly doubles the company’s space to 20,000 square feet.
Work is under way renovating the former Direct Buy building off 28th Street. Witte anticipates the move will be completed early next month.
More than 20 people work for the company, and the new location will open the door to more growth, Witte said.
Barron’s reports juicing is a $5 billion industry and is projected to grow by 4 percent to 8 percent a year.
Norwalk’s business has grown even faster. Sales for the family-owned, privately held business soared up to 500 times higher in the past few years thanks to the Internet, Witte said. She would not provide sales figures.
Employment also has more than doubled since the Norwalk website went live in April 2010.
The company doesn't sell juicers at retail outlets, on other websites or through catalogues. Almost all sales are completed online through the company’s website.
Witte said there is still a handful of customers who use the company’s toll-free line to place orders.
On the Web
norwalkjuicers.com
“When people search for juicers online we better be right up there,” she said.
Every Norwalk juicer is hand assembled as orders arrive.
“We have no warehouses, no dealers,” she said.
The 59-pound juicer costs $2,500 and carries a 12-year warranty. The stainless steel appliances are made to last, Witte said.
“We have a no-return policy, so we tell customers to know what they are buying before they buy,” she said.
Norwalk juicers use a hydraulic press that produces more juice with higher levels of vitamins and minerals than other types of machines, Witte said.
Witte said the machine can also be used to chop nuts and salads or grind coffee and can replace other kitchen appliances.
“It’s an investment,” she said. “It’s an investment in your life.”
She said more people are making that investment as juicing grows in popularity. Back in the 1950s, she said most people juicing were ill. In the 1960s and 1970s, people between the ages of 25 and 40 started buying the juicers as the health food revolution kicked in, she said.
“Those same people are still using those machines today or buying new ones,” Witte said.
Barron’s reports the latest craze that involves juice fasts or cleanses is part of a national move — especially among people in their 20s and 30s — toward healthier eating and greater consumption of raw and organic produce.
Kristin Woolbright, clinical nutrition manager at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, said juicing has its pros and cons.
“It’s a good way to get fruits and vegetables into a diet for those who don’t like to eat five servings a day,” she said. “It is also a good way to use up produce before it goes bad.”
A downside is juicing removes the skin and pulp, which is a good source of fiber, Woolbright said. Juice is also a concentrated source of calories with 4 ounces of apple juice having the same calories as a whole apple.
“Freshly prepared juice can definitely be incorporated into a diet, but it’s not a miracle cure,” she said.
Witte also stressed the Norwalk is a kitchen appliance and not a medical machine.
Kristen Suzanne knew she wanted a Norwalk after trying many other juicers. The Scottsdale, Ariz., woman is an author and blogger who writes about the vegan lifestyle.
“The Norwalk was the best juicer available that offers true cold-pressed juice,” she said. “That was important for me because of the health benefits as well as its ability to extract more juice from my produce, saving me money in the long run. I don’t have to buy as much produce.”
Suzanne said preparing the foods before juicing each session can be a bit time consuming so she uses her Norwalk for large batches of juice a couple times a week.
“It has worked well and lived up to its reputation for sure,” she said.