Expo shows off home improvement ideas

SPANISH FORK -- Whether you are looking for ways to improve your home, family entertainment, find a new dentist or to purchase books for your children, Spanish Fork Fairgrounds is the the place to be Saturday. The Spring Good Life Expo allows local vendors to come together to offer a variety of services to the community.

'This is a wonderful thing for Utah County,' said Chairman Ron Payne. 'We sent out 30,000 mailers making everyone aware of the expo and are confident we will have a great turnout.'

This is the expo's 20th year. Ron and Karen Payne of Spanish Fork took on this journey from the beginning and each year it has become bigger now offering more than 70 local vendors that offer services around Utah County.

'Our vendors make contact with more people in the two days that we are here than they would working months at their businesses,' Payne said. 'We have such a variety of businesses here and such a variety of things to offer the people of the community.'

The expo provided exhibits and demonstrations related to home and garden improvement, family health, nutrition products and favorite hobbies. There was something to offer for everyone.

During a visit to the expo, patrons learned more about home alarm systems, satellite systems, home and auto insurance and could even purchase an AirForce Blowgun.

'This is our first year at the expo,' said Becky Poulter. 'We are so excited about our new blowguns and we hope that they will bring as much fun and entertainment into the home of others.'

Angela Barney of USBorne books and more is at the expo for her third year. Her booth displayed many books and other fun activities for children of all ages.

'As a stay at home and a mother of four I love doing this part-time and the plus is I also can get books for my children,' Barney said. 'Our number one goal is to spread literacy in schools.'

Barney said she feels like having a booth at the expo opens up opportunities for families locally to see the things USBorne books has to offer and lets people book parties if that is an interest to them.

The expo takes place twice a year, once in October and again in April. 'This has turned into a big family thing for my family,' Payne said. 'It started with my wife and I, our children joined in to help and now we have our grandchildren helping.'

Randy Chipman who owns and operates Custom Security and Sound was one of the vendors at the expo Friday promoting his business. This business, rated A+ with the Better Business Bureau, has been up and operating for eight years with zero complaints.

'Being at the expo, I feel like I have a better chance to get to know new customers more personally,' Chipman said. 'We treat everyone like they are family and our systems are worth every penny spent.'

For new customers at the expo, Chipman included an extra perk that included their choice of a garage door opener, numeric door lock, a single smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector.

'We are a local business in Spanish Fork but travel within Utah and some surrounding states to install our systems,' Chipman said.

For more information on the Spring Good Life Expo, visit www.goodlifeexpo.org.