Jane Ford really got what she asked for when she planned to expand her business this year.

As an alumna of Missouri State University, Ford was able to utilize her degree in hospitality leadership when she landed a sales deal with Williams Sonoma.

Ford has been so thankful to her alma mater that she currently serves on the Hospitality Leadership Board of Advisors.

Ford and her wife, Kathy Hubbard, own and operate Red Top Oven, a local business offering various jams, salsa and relishes made with the farm-to-table standard. Their goods are popular at farmers markets because of their all-natural creative ingredients, innovative combinations, and home-cooked style.

“To strike this deal, means success,” said Ford. “They pursued us, and it meant that we were really doing something great. It’s our crowning achievement.”

Williams Sonoma is a home goods store with over 600 locations worldwide. Each location sells local goods and products. The St. Louis location chose Red Top Oven, which means that they are among an elite group of vendors nationwide with this seal.

“Without my education at MSU, I could not be where I am four years after opening this business,” said Ford. “This is wonderful, bigger than I could have dreamed. I am learning how to grow my business faster than I can anticipate.”

To give back, the owners of Red Top Oven have started a scholarship, the “Jane Ford and Kathy Hubbard Appreciation Scholarship” for non-traditional students in hospitality leadership.