 Ted Rowell extracted oil from a burbot, and upon scientific assay, it was determined to be eight times more potent in vitamins A and D than cod liver oil, which was a big seller at the time.Ted and Joe thus formed the Burbot Liver Products Company in 1933, and began extracting, processing, bottling, and selling burbot liver oil.Over the years, the company became Rowell Laboratories, Inc., grew to manufacture more than 200 products, and became the largest industry and largest employer in Lake of the Woods county, adding multivitamins and minerals, and later becoming a national manufacturer of prescription drugs.