John Gunther Reflects on Gunther Salt Company
John Gunther, president of Gunther Salt Company, joined the organization in 1991 — his first role being sales and seasonal truck dispatching. Over the decades, he witnessed his family business evolve into an industry leader. But how did it get there? And what is coming next?
Ready to learn more about a team of leading salt suppliers near you? Read on for John’s insights on the past, present, and future of Gunther Salt Company.
The Past
Gunther Salt traces its origins to 1902 when the company was trading several goods, including salt. By the 1930s, John’s great-grandfather had bought out his business partner to focus solely on the salt supply market. He made Gunther Salt the first salt distributor to sell Louisiana rock salt in the St. Louis area. Over the years, Gunther Salt’s market has expanded to several states.
“The key to our success was convincing suppliers to sell as much product as possible to us, at a reasonable price — then, we’d get it to market,” John Gunther said. “Their expertise is in production, Gunther Salt’s is in packaging, distribution, and service.”
Gunther Salt evolved constantly over the ensuing decades. Initially, food-grade salt was a market the company serviced. However, over the years, growth was found with commercial and industrial customers for water-softening salt, ice control salt, and feed-mixing salt.
“I think the past generations quickly realized the growth of the business was more in the area of water-softening salt, ice control salt, and feed salt,” John said.
As time passed and business grew, Gunther Salt Company relocated twice. The second time, in 1985, involved a move just north of downtown St. Louis. Gradually, Gunther purchased adjacent properties as well. The facility grew to include three salt domes, three warehouses, two packaging lines and two buildings dedicated to salt storage and empty bag storage, respectively.
The Present
Today, a new generation has taken over, with John Gunther as President and Peter Gunther as Vice President. However, John and Peter know the success of the business also stems from people outside the family. Gunther proudly maintains a small, efficient team that focuses on providing quality salt products at competitive pricing.
“Gunther Salt Company does more with less in terms of people,” John said. “We've done our best to hire good, efficient workers.”
Efficiency has yielded better outcomes for the salt processor and distributor. Gunther Salt currently offers some of the shortest lead times in its industry — averaging about three to five days.
“We’ll do whatever we need to maintain service, be responsive, and be competitive,” John said. “We will always focus on offering quality, competitive products.”
The Future
Looking ahead, John Gunther only sees more evolution in store for his company. He hopes to eventually establish another location in the Midwest. Through a depot, Gunther Salt Company would look to duplicate its St. Louis operation and reach new customers outside the freight range of St. Louis, MO.
“We know where our business is in the Midwest, but there are some businesses a little further away,” John said. “If we establish a depot, our salt supply will reach customers we currently can't.”
Past that, John emphasized his commitment to improvement. John and Peter are keeping their eyes peeled for new products, partnerships, and tools that will help them better serve clients in the years ahead.
Contact John Gunther and His Team
Gunther Salt Company’s more than 100 years of service has been made possible through the trust of countless customers. In addition to daily deliveries of bulk salt, Gunther has become a reliable packager and distributor of water softening salt, feed-mixing salt, ice control salt and ice melt as well as specialty products like pool salt.
Looking for leading salt suppliers near you? For more information on products, processes, and beyond, contact Gunther Salt Company at 314-241-7075.
