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South Jordan Journal

Local Teens Win Big With Camping Tool Invention

May 29, 2015 02:49PM ● By Aimee L Cook

Spencer and Tanner with their Wolf’em stick invention.

They say necessity is the mother of invention, but sometimes that necessity can be as simple as craving a different kind of campfire treat. For decades, campers have roasted marshmallows on a stick to create the ever popular s’more, but brothers Spencer and Tanner Harrison are well on their way to changing how you create a dessert with a stick.

The Harrison brothers invented the Wolf’em stick, a stick used to create a campfire treat that cooks a refrigerated biscuit on the end of a dowel. Named Wolf’em because they say you will “wolf them” down, the stick has a patented rotatory handle system that you turn while cooking the biscuit dough 3-5 minutes. When finished you fill it with your favorite ingredients, such as pie filling, pudding or fruit. 

The brothers are an ambitious pair. They both participated in the national program, The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, in 2012 after they completed the Young Entrepreneurs Association courses sponsored by the South Jordan Chamber of Commerce. There they learned how to create a business plan and a prototype for their Wolf’em stick. Their business, now called Campfire Industries, took first place in Utah and moved on to the national competition in New York City where they placed second and each won $25,000 for their business. 

“We strongly encourage South Jordan to continue to support this excellent program to give other young entrepreneurs the same opportunity,” Tanner said. 
Spencer and Tanner Harrison with Mayor Osborne. Photo by Julie Harrison

 Tanner, soon to be a sophomore at Bingham High School in the fall, and Spencer, currently a seventh grader at South Jordan Middle School, were among 41 semi-finalists to compete in the national competition. They credit South Jordan City with giving them a lot of helpful support.

“This sounds like something the city of South Jordan did,” Mayor Scott Osborne said. “It really wasn’t what South Jordan City did, but it’s what the citizens of South Jordan City did.”

In 2013, Campfire Industries generated more than $12,500 of gross revenue, recovering all their start-up costs. In 2014, the company improved product design, purchased high-volume tooling and invested in eye-catching packaging which generated more than $30,000 in revenue. Recently the company was able to add 68 retail outlets for distribution and already have orders for the summer months. Not bad for a pair of brothers who assemble, brand and package their Wolf’em sticks in their garage.