De Soto High school business teacher Tom Byers and his Business Essentials class took a field trip to visit the local Huhtamaki campus, located only minutes from DHS on Dec. 5.

Students in the class got the opportunity to learn more about Huhtamaki and what they do as a company.

“We were escorted to a conference  type room, and had a 30-minute overview of what Huhtamaki is truly about in terms of a large corporation and about having a large plant here next to the school,” Byers said.

From there, they got to tour the facility and see what happens behind the scenes.

“We got to go on a tour, and we had  to put on hair nets, ear plugs and goggles go around and see what they do,” sophomore Addison Gress said.

For the students, they were able to take some of the information and apply it to the real world.

“We talk about forms of business structure from a sole proprietorship to a partnership to a corporation in class,” Byers said. “Also, looking at the marketing component with having the Huhtamaki Hardwood Classic going on, we could make a connection to that business by actually going and visiting there.”

Students also got to learn new things about the company that may not be all familiar to some.

“I learned that they make the cups for Arby’s, Subway and other fast food restaurants and that it’s a really big business,” Gress said. “I also learned that they make the kind of brand of paper plates [Chinet], and that they make it all out of recycled materials.”

The trip also gave students more exposure to the world of business that they have been studying in the classroom.

“We’re in a time frame right now where the emphasis is on growth,” Byers said. “The earlier that we can expose students to opportunities that are out there and let them recognize what is available outside of DHS is going to be a true benefit to their education as the leave De Soto.”