Mari-Mann Herb Co Inc

Mari-Mann Herb Co., Inc. started in the mid 1970’s in Maribeth King’s kitchen. Maribeth began teaching in her home, healthy ways to cook with herbs and spices. She began traveling to local festivals to sell her specialty dips, jams, herbal seasonings, potpourri and wreaths. In the late 70’s, she and her husband Bob, a local banker, opened a small retail store and farm with their son’s Mike and Joel. After his father’s death Mike came into the business full time in September of 1983. In December of 1984 Mari-Mann Herb Co., Inc. became an Illinois corporation.
Mike King, a chemist, invented the fragrance crystals and holds two patents and one international patent. These crystals are sold worldwide. While potpourri with its beauty, which fades away and can be messy, the crystals are rapidly coming into play. As with the beginning of Mari-Mann Herb Co., Inc., protection of health and environment has always been at the forefront. Maribeth is a cancer survivor so Mike has created products that are carcinogenic free and environmentally safe, with his mother in mind.
This division of Mari-Mann Herb Co., Inc. has another new product of Mike’s inventive abilities. “Mosquito Magic” is a most safe and positive way of mosquito protection. “Mosquito Magic” comes in both crystal nuggets and granules and can be added to water for use as a spray. The crystals have been tested and approved by several universities and are now in the hands of a distributor. Mike has also traveled the world with another unique all natural item called RGS. RGS controls bad odors and is so safe that all the ingredients are food grade. Mike likes to joke that while the odor controls are very effective in controlling all bad odors and purifying the air they are not “gourmet” so you probably wouldn’t like to eat them.
Maribeth’s other son, Joel King, creates many of the herb and spice blends for healthy cooking. Joel presented his meatball/meatloaf mix to a crowd of 1500 plus at the 2005 Midwest Farm Progress show with a demand for more and more.
The store is nested in the country setting of one the Midwest’s oldest and largest tourist herb farms, and offers a unique experience for all. Mari-Mann Herb Co., Inc. offers a propriety line of natural fragrances, (King Dry Fragrances, Solid Scent crystals, RGS and Mosquito Magic), homemade dips, seasonings, jellies and herbs and spices from annatto to zebranka, homemade breads, prestos, house tea blends (our famous Berry tea), a huge selection of organic foods and natural supplements, plus gift cards and natural flower wreaths and arrangements. A large selection of fragrances and essential oils are sold, by the pound, to spas, massage therapists, aroma therapists and soap makers. In addition, the owners run a restaurant and tea room, lead tours of their herb farm and host many classes on healthy cooking, herbs of the Bible and crafting with herbs. Mari-Mann brings in experts and lecturers from throughout the world to educate their customers on alternative medicine.
“You name it, we do it,” says Mike King, President of Mari-Mann Herb Co., Inc. We are not just locked into being a health food store or an herb farm. Mike takes his role as the area’s natural health educator very seriously. He spends many hours each day studying supplements and alternative medicines to pass that information on to his customers. “I get to know my customers. I will sit down with one customer for up to an hour. We are not here to “fast-food health them,” he says. “What we want to do is educate and make sure they are getting the best products at the best price.”
Mari-Mann Herb Co., Inc. offers a preferred customer card to encourage repeat customers. Members receive coupons, special discounts and automatically get about 10% off the normal price. Since the card tracks purchases, it is easier for customers. In addition to its 4,000 preferred members, Mari-Mann has a list of 18,000 people who receive e-mails with store news, class schedules, in store specials and alternative speaker programs.
Mike King also has had programs on health alternatives with a 3 to 7 minute, bi-weekly holistic segment on the Central Illinois NBC affiliate, WAND. He addresses everything from new studies on natural remedies for arthritis, flu, poison ivy, etc. “I have to prepare and document everything,” he says. “People know that I am reliable and knowledgeable.” Mike has built such a strong reputation that health journalists often come to him as a source on alternative information, thus providing more exposure for the business. In fact, Mike was a regular contributor to Health Illinois, a central Illinois health magazine for Lee Enterprises.
King goes to great lengths to understand the brands he sells. As a chemist he tours and communicates often with the Nutraceutical scientists and their labs. King says, “I know my botanicals, I know my growers and I know that they are good people and honest about their products.” King is careful to say that he is an educator, not a doctor, but his mistrust of conventional medicine is evident. “People don’t realize that eating right, exercising, taking supplements, belief in a greater than self and living a good healthy lifestyle is good for you and can prevent many diseases and ailments.” Your body is designed to heal itself given the proper care.