Dutch Door Hardware

Grand re-opening planned to unveil expansion

True Value Hardware, 541 Second St., Webster City, is celebrating this weekend as they unveil a new expansion to the store.

Owners Jim and Vicki Olson are planning a grand reopening for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, to show customers the expansion to the business.

The Olsons have operated the store for seven years and decided they needed more room. They purchased the former Webster City Heating and Cooling building to the east of their store with an eye toward adding more space for inventory.

"We were getting crowded, so when we had the opportunity to get the building next door, we went for it," said Vicki Olson.

"We've added about 2,500-square-feet and about 40 percent more inventory," said Jim Olson.

"We've basically expanded every department," Vicki Olson said.

The expansion has allowed the Olsons to spread out, turn all of the aisles and add some new product lines as well. The store now carries Dutch Boy Paints and handles propane tank exchanges. The store stocks fishing supplies and offers fishing and hunting licenses.

The garden center is located on the west side of the building. The store has camper and swimming pool supplies along with hardware, plumbing and other home improvement items.

The business remained open during the remodeling. They started moving shelves in the main building in January, and in February, began remodeling the new addition. Vicki Olson said the customers kept coming in spite of the dust and noise.

"We would like to thank the customers who were very good through the whole process," she said. "It's would have been easy for them to shop somewhere else when all that mess was going on. But people were very good about it."

The Olsons said they are constantly adding new items to the store.

"We want this to be a store that customers come to and get what they want," she said. "With the price of gas, we want people to be able to shop here in town. It's good for the community and its good for our business."

During the grand reopening this weekend, Vicki Olson said the store would be holding drawings for prizes like a lawn mower, patio set, gas grill, power washer and lawn trimmer, Fresh popcorn and ice cream treats will be served, she said.

Barn Dutch Door Hardware | CUPOLA BARN

All facility owners look for different things when it comes to building, renovating, or buying their structure. Dependent upon what needs have to be met, as a trainer, private owner, or one who is running a boarding facility, they all share one thing in common: the need for a space that can meet the needs of their business and home safely, functionally, and with a touch of their own flair. As an amateur rider myself, I have decided to explore the world of facility ownership by conducting intimate interviews with two types of facility owners: the boarding facility owner, and the private owner. By comparing and contrasting these two very different perspectives of facility ownership, I hope to share insight into the population of other farm owners.

The first person that I interviewed was April Lessard, owner and operator of JDV Stables located in Lyons, Wisconsin.

April and her husband Troy bought their facility, a metal pole barn, which contained 33 stalls, six years ago. As part of the renovation plan, they tore out 23 stalls, narrowing the number down to 10. Because she planned on opening her barn as a boarding facility, she said that they needed the space for an indoor arena that the boarders could use as an exercise area. April expressed that she chose building and renovating the stalls themselves because of budget concerns, but when I asked if she were to rebuild or remodel, her first answer was “I would definitely choose Woodstar. Their stalls are professional and offer choices for personal style.” In conducting this interview, I concluded that it is a more sensible choice that as a burgeoning business owner, in the very beginning steps of opening a facility, to do these renovations themselves. “The money comes later, thus the resources are there to use a company like Woodstar Products, which is most certainly our first choice if and when we do decide to add improvements.” April states in a few words.

When I spoke with her about suggestions and improvements and what makes stalls more functional, she offered that she likes to see the hay mangers high, and off the ground. The idea of a swinging grain door is very appealing because it offers safety and more functional “state of the art” use for herself and the boarder. She would also like to change the hardware on most of the stalls. These particular features are ones that Woodstar Products proudly offers. With the mantra of “function ability” in mind, Woodstar is very much aware of the demands of their equi-customers, even regarding the most cutting-edge owners. In running a boarding facility, April expressed how the design of her facility and renovation plans need to be unbiased from her own personal taste due to the demands of her future and current clientele. A boarding facility has to run like clockwork-just like any business. It needs to cater to the demands of the customer and be easily functional and accessible for every single type of horse and horse owner. And I truly believe that April and Troy Lessard has successfully fulfilled just that.

Building age

2006 National Renovation & Insurance Repair Estimator

Hardware age

Building a Shed

Architectural record