Nazareth High Graduates Spearhead Miller-Clauss Enterprises

They are "two young entrepreneurs on a mission."

This "mission" is evident as you scroll down the website, or blog, for Miller-Clauss Enterprises and read about the local opportunities two graduates have seized in order to sell Bruce J. Clemenceau's Old-Fashioned Rub -- a business venture that started in the mind of Kyle Clauss, co-founder of Miller-Clauss Enterprises.

A simple text message is what set the wheels in motion for what Clauss had pondered for years. Clauss has blogged about the business venture since its inception:

"... I mention to my friend and economics wunderkind Wyatt Miller an idea I had been turning over in my head for some time. I suggest that we engage in as many entrepreneurial ventures as humanly possible in one summer before we both leave for college in the fall. Two days later, Miller-Clauss Enterprises was created over a western omelet and a half-eaten stack of buttermilk pancakes... "

Once Clauss had "wunderkind" Miller on board, which wasn't a difficult task, the entrepreneurs met at in Lower Nazareth Township. They dressed in shirts and ties to make themselves feel important.

The duo brainstormed business ideas during this meeting, according to Miller. Their motive wasn’t money, it was the challenge.

Being the budding journalist that he is, Clauss knew that he wanted to blog about the experience, while Miller was more interested in stretching his financial creativity.

“This wouldn’t be possible without [the] both of us,” Miller explained.

“I’m the creative side and he is the logistics [side],” Clauss added. "[Wyatt] has an amazing skill in finance.”

In the beginning, the duo sold baked goods, but they soon decided to take a chance on Bruce J. Clemenceau’s Old-Fashioned Rub.

Clauss actually created the recipe for the Memphis-style dry rub at the age of 8. While watching a Food Network show devoted to barbecue sauces at his parents' bakery in New Jersey, Clauss thought to himself, “That looks easy enough.”

The recipe is made from all natural ingredients -- no monosodium glutamate or preservatives, according to Clauss.

The duo finally knew what they wanted to sell, but their dry rub needed a name.

So, who exactly is "Bruce J. Clemenceau?"

Well, he’s fictional.

As members of the Nazareth High debate team, it was drilled into their heads that all information gathered and reported must be attributed to a source, Miller explained. When they or their fellow classmates couldn’t come up with a source other than themselves, that's when Clemenceau entered the picture.

It was actually a classroom joke, Miller explained.

Clauss took the "expert" and spun a biography for the iconic figure.

“He has taken on a life of his own,” Clauss said.

Clemenceau, a professor of applied economics at Brown University, according to Clauss’ tale, happened upon a group of Native Americans who were using the rub. He traded three glass beads for a pint of the rub and the recipe.

According to Clauss, people truly believe that Clemenceau is a real person -- his biography is even on the business' website.

“They get a good laugh when we tell them [he's] fake,” Clauss said. “He’s like our Aunt Jemima.”

So far, the entrepreneurs have yet to be unsuccessful in selling their rub, which they often sell at events around Nazareth. In fact, they’ve done better than expected, according to Miller.

The rub can be used on a variety of food, like steaks, ribs, poultry, fish and ham. For the adventurous type, the rub can even be used on vegetables or on a grilled cheese sandwich.

According to Clauss, if some of the rub is mixed with butter and then spread across a slice of bread, the brown sugar in the recipe almost candies the bread.

Steve Zanders, an employee at Diner 248, agreed that the rub caramelizes. He bought a jar of the rub -- he's almost out -- and used it on brisket. Zanders said that after he put the rub on the meat, he seared the sides and then grilled it.

“It was excellent, very tasty,” he said. “It’s convenient to use, too.”

The rub, which can be purchased through miller-claussenterprises.blogspot.com, is sold in three sizes, each named after a real-life economist, Miller explained.

• A half-pint is called Schumpeter, after Joseph Schumpeter, and costs $4.
• A pint is called Friedman, after Milton Friedman, and goes for $7.
• A quart is called Hume, after David Hume, and costs $12.

Miller and Clauss plan to turn their enterprise into a limited liability company, and are hoping to find a distributor so they can keep the company running throughout college. In fact, both said they hope their business will assist them with tuition.

Clauss plans to major in news and editorial journalism at Boston University, while Miller will be headed to Fordham University to major in finance with a minor in economics.

To keep tabs on Miller-Clauss Enterprises and its successes, or to purchase Bruce J. Clemenceau’s Old-Fashioned Rub, visit miller-claussenterprises.blogspot.com.