Pahrump Nugget hosts a Small Business Expo

There was no shortage of vendors that took part in the small business owner expo at the Pahrump Nugget this past weekend.

Coordinator Kathy Mills said at least 25 merchants set up shop with a vast array of items inside the event center for the two-day event on Saturday and Sunday. While noting the event was not just your everyday, local, run-of-the-mill expo, she said she also organizes similar expos in Las Vegas.

“It seems the only shows they do in Pahrump except for the fall festival, are for craftspeople,” Mills said. “I have no rules for direct sales or business people. We have a lot of direct sales such as Tupperware, Scentsy, and insurance people. So we have vendors who don’t just make crafts.”

One such vendor is local resident Lori Millar, who since May of this year, has been selling a line of products called Tastefully Simple.

“I have a lot of spices, baked goods, and sauces, without all of the additives,” she said. “They are more natural than what you would purchase in the store. I basically do a lot of my business online. I can be reached at 775-764-1008, or at lorimillar74@yahoo.com.”

Aside from several handcrafted items, vendor Rose Nixon offers numerous products by way of her website, www.nixonhandcrafted.com.

Nixon’s inventory includes freeze-dried treats, heirloom gardening seed products, and a large variety of handcrafted soaps.

“I started out making soap about five years ago and I’ve expanded my line now so I’ve got probably 25 to 30 different fragrances,” Nixon said. “I use a lot of clay in my soap and it makes your skin feel squeaky clean without being dry.”

Nixon also said she purchased a freeze dryer last year in order to expand her business into the realm of sweet treats.

“It’s an expensive piece of equipment, yet it keeps all of the nutrition in your food,” she said. “I just use straight-up sugar when I’m selling here at the markets, and I do freeze-dried candy with Skittles, saltwater taffy that just melts in your mouth, and Jolly Ranchers. I do a lot of farmers markets and craft shows. I’m also on Instagram and Facebook, and I always post where I’m going to be. It’s a lot of fun.”

Vendor Shelly McKinley is the owner of Essentially Shelly.

McKinley, a Las Vegas resident, said she started her handcrafting business roughly 10 years ago, which she said is a form of therapy to combat depression.

“I went through six years of domestic violence and rape,” she said. “I make handcrafted stones and do crocheting in order to get my sanity back and get me out of depression. I bead them myself and wrap them in copper wire. I’m on Instagram @essentiallyshelly5 and Facebook at Shelly Ann M.”

Mills, meanwhile, said she’s organizing additional small business owner expos, come early and mid-October.

“I do shows here in Pahrump and Las Vegas as well,” she said. “The prices that I charge are very reasonable at $75 a day and they get two six-foot tables, with two chairs and everybody’s happy. I will have another expo on the second and third of October, as well as the 16th and 17th.”

For additional information, or to become a vendor, call Kathy Mills at 702-227-4785, or visit her Facebook page at ETC Treasures and Gifts.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes