Entrepreneur brings nutrition business to home state

WOONSOCKET — Terry Wieting will be the first to tell you that he is not in the business of fame and fortune. He is, however, in the business of surrounding himself with good people and helping them succeed.   
The 42-year-old Huron resident, a third generation South Dakota farmer who has engaged in a number of successful business endeavors, recently became the strategic managing partner for Max Muscle Nutrition, a nutrition and supplement company known for its integrity and quality of products.
The company, founded in Southern California by a former professional football player, enjoyed an impressive 26-year run but its growth had plateaued and its nearly 120 franchise locations across the United States were feeling the heat of e-commerce competition from companies like Amazon.
“At the end of the day, my passion is to see people become successful,” Wieting said. “This was a great company with untapped potential that just needed some help taking its business to the next level.”
According to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, the supplement industry is booming with more than two-thirds of Americans taking dietary supplements and three-quarters of U.S. physicians recommending their patients take supplements.
This industry contributes approximately $122 billion to the U.S. economy with more than 750,000 jobs nationwide. Wieting, realizing the endless possibilities this could mean for his home state, decided to move the company to South Dakota.
Corporate offices and a modest warehouse are already operational in Sioux Falls with plans to expand and grow. Wieting’s purchase in January of the 144,000 square-foot building formerly known as Van Dyke’s Taxidermy Supply off Highway 34 in Woonsocket means jobs are coming to the area.
“I have a personal mission to bring jobs to South Dakota,” Wieting said. “I always say, ‘Surround yourself with good people and good things will happen.’”

Things are looking bright for the farmer-turned-entrepreneur who has an uncanny business sense and a passion to not only grow this business, enabling others to share in the success, but ultimately help many others live healthier lives.
How It All Came About
Wieting’s close friend and strategic business partner, Andrew Arhart, 44, from Alpena had found success losing weight through a personalized nutrition plan and high quality supplements from the Max Muscle Nutrition store in Sioux Falls. Arhart and the store owner, Jon Petersen, became friends and often talked about business. Petersen confided that he and his business partner were developing a unique software application for the nutrition industry. The two were seeking the right financial investor, one with vision and passion.
Arhart knew just the guy: Terry Wieting, who co-founded a software application called AgSense that revolutionized the control and monitoring of irrigation for the commercial farming industry. He set up a meeting for Petersen and Wieting. The duo hit it off immediately.
Wieting decided to invest in the software application, but he saw the potential for more. He then met with the owners of Max Muscle Nutrition corporate in California and struck a deal to become the managing partner.
“Terry has an impressive resume for building strong businesses within the structure of a modern-day playing field,” said Joe Wells, founder of Max Muscle Nutrition. “Our entire team is looking forward to the synergies of all of us coming together in a positive manner to make a stronger business for all of us!”
What’s on the Horizon
Wieting’s plans for the building in Woonsocket begin – but do not end – with warehousing and distributing top quality nutritional supplements in a safe, clean, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliant facility. In addition, the research and development team is looking to find ways to leverage South Dakota agricultural production, including whey, soybeans, honey, corn, sorghum, and livestock – particularly whey as it is a main ingredient found in protein powder.
“It just makes sense to figure out how to leverage South Dakota dairy,” Arhart said. “As we grow and diversify, we will look for partners to help create value-added agriculture for South Dakota and financial partners to expand our business further worldwide.”
Other goals on the horizon include partnering with South Dakota schools to provide nutritional education and coaching on healthier eating choices.
“With our software application, we plan to work with school districts across the state of South Dakota and in other states to help teach optimal nutrition and move their athletes, students, and communities towards better health,” Wieting said. “We have already had some school districts reach out for our help and we haven’t even started promoting it yet.”
Wieting is shooting for the stars and looks forward to seeing this enterprise grow and those around him succeed. He said he believes he is on the right path and that all of this happened for a reason.
“Everything that I have been through to this point in my life has prepared me to do what we are trying to accomplish today,” he said. “Ultimately, I just want to see people have success. That’s what I get gratification from.”

COURTESY PHOTO
Andrew Arhart (left) and Terry Wieting go over the building plans for the warehouse expansion efforts in the former Van Dyke Supply building on the east side of Woonsocket. The site will be the new home of Max Muscle Nutrition.