Q & A

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Are these the same McNess products that are in my grandmother’s pantry?

Yes, several of the products actually date back to 1908. It is our goal to leave the formulations of all of the products as close to the original as possible.

Is there a reseller in my area?

You can contact us to see if there is a reseller in your area. A good starting point is this list on the website. However, not all resellers are listed on this page.

Can I become a reseller?

We are accepting new resellers and it is probably easier than you think. Contact our offices for more information.

Do you offer McNess products for fundraisers?

We are in the process of creating a fund-raising program. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have a group that wants to use McNess products for fund-raising.

Who is Sugar River Trading Company?

The Sugar River Trading Company, LLC is a family-owned business located in Belleville, Wisconsin. The owners, Randy and Cindy Gunter, also own the Gunter Agency, a marketing company that had been working with Furst-McNess for numerous years. Due to Furst-McNess’ desire to concentrate on their agricultural business, and a mutual desire from both groups to see the McNess home products line continue, a licensing agreement was formed for the Gunters to take over the manufacturing and sales of McNess products late in 2015. The Gunters work closely with Furst-McNess to make sure the tradition of quality is continued.

 

QUESTIONS REGARDING THE WEBSITE, ORDERING ONLINE AND SHIPPING

My credit card won’t go through on your website, is it working?

Our website and credit card system is actually part of one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world. Still, there are times when credit cards don’t work like we expect them too. One of the most common mistakes is putting in a different zip code than the zip code that is on file. If you have problems placing an order, please call! 608-424-0405.

Is my credit card info safe?

Our credit card system goes through Brain Tree, one of the biggest online credit card systems in the world. Sugar River Trading Company/McNess Store does not hold any credit card information on file. Although this may add some inconvenience if you are frequent buyer since you must re-enter your credit card information each time, it does mean your information stays safer.

If I sign up for the newsletter, will you send me lots of spam?

Our newsletter really is for announcements, like when we bring back new products, or if we have a special promotion going on. If you sign up, you will most likely only get an announcement or two each quarter, if that. Of course, if you ever decide to be taken off of the list, we will certainly do that. (Actually, we are required by law to do it, but we would have done it anyway.)

Why is your shipping so expensive?

Shipping for small companies is really hard to figure out, especially since we have so many different types of items available and we ship across the country. We try our best to come up with a formula that pays our costs. It is not our intent at all to make money off of the shipping, we just are trying not to lose money. (And on some orders, we still do lose money on the shipping.)

Still, there are times when the shipping could be lessened. If you think the shipping online seems high, feel free to call your order in and we’ll see if we can find a better rate. It all depends on what you are ordering and where it is going.

608-424-0405

Can I pick up my order?

If you are in the Belleville, Wisconsin area, you can make arrangements to pick up your order at our location. Our typical business hours are 8:30 am - 5:00 pm weekdays. If you call us, we can make arrangements for later times or weekends. You probably should call anyway, we are a small group working here and there are occasional times when the office might be closed.

We’re located at 1029 River Street, Suite A, Belleville, WI. Right next to Burreson’s grocery store. (We are located between Burreson’s and Family Dollar Store.)

Can changes be made to an order once it has been placed?

There is no way to make a change online. The best thing to do is to call. If you are ordering online, send an email. If we haven’t shipped yet, we can make the change.

How fast is shipping? What if I would like to have my package delivered overnight?

We try to pick the shipping with the best rates and service based on what you are buying and where it is going. We typically use the U.S. Post Office, UPS, and Speedee Delivery. (If you know regional shippers in your area that have good rates, good service and can pick up in Wisconsin, tell them about us.) Time of delivery depends on the source. We typically will ship from our location in the first 24, sometimes 48 hours. If there is an interruption in the service (holidays, etc.), it will be listed on the front page of this website.

We certainly can expedite shipping and can ship overnight. Call orders in for quicker delivery.

I don’t live in the United States, can I get McNess products shipped to me?

Send us a note, either call or email, and let us know where you want your product shipped and we’ll get back to you to let you know if we can do that or not.

 

PRODUCT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

Will you bring back the pudding and pie mixes? Seasonings? Other products?

We are bringing back discontinued items. We have brought back the Mentholated Camphor Rub (previously called Mentholated Ointment) and the McNess Degreaser. We are exploring bringing back some of the pudding and pie mixes, seasonings, and more.

Just a reminder that we are a smaller company, so our resources are limited and nothing happens quite as fast as you want it to.

Have you changed any of the products?

Since taking over the manufacturing of the McNess Home Products, we have made changes to four items. On the Aromatic Compound, we took out a coloring that was inconsequential to the taste or efficacy of the product. (It simply made the compound look a little darker.) We also reverted back some of the ingredients to pure fruit extracts rather than blends. (This is not a change in the formula, rather a change to make sure we were consistent with the original formula.)

The McNess Organic Cleaner had two ingredients replaced to make the product even "greener" and safer for the environment. Testing showed that the product actually cleans better with those changes.

We have recently changed suppliers for our cinnamon and pepper, although we believe that the products themselves are indistinguishable from the previous versions.

Otherwise all products are exactly the same as prior to our taking over the manufacturing and all products are manufactured at the same facilities as they were previously. Please note that some products' names have changed, that doesn't mean that the products themselves have changed.

As a side note, all of our products have natural ingredients in them. Whenever you have a natural ingredient, changes in growing seasons and availability can play into the look of that ingredient. It doesn't mean that the efficacy of the product is any different. We get people wondering if we changed the Krestol because the can that they have had in their medicine cabinet for 25 years is darker than the new one they just received. First of all, discoloration will happen over time. Second, there are natural ingredients in the formula, so a little color variation should be expected. Lastly, please give us a little credit...we are smart enough not to mess with a good thing. There is absolutely no reason for us to change a formula that has been around for decades. Bottom line: it's the exact same product.

Is the Organic Cleaner certified organic?

The Organic Cleaner actually predates governmental certification for organic products. We are not "certified" through any agency, but the ingredients probably will pass most organic requirements. Please contact us for an SDS.

My product is past date, is it still good?

Call us if your product is past date. We can tell you that we have several baking items that were labelled with a 2 year “use by” date that could have (and we believe should have) been labelled with a 4 year “use by” date on them instead.