Providing customer service with a smile

Driving into Saratoga from Walcott Junction there is a building on the left about a mile before town which houses a business is essential to many ranchers in feeding their livestock. Pet owners also use this store, as do people who need their dry cleaning done.

Saratoga Feed and Grain has been doing such a good job that it won the Saratoga/Platte Valley Chamber of Commerce's 2021 Business of the Year.

"We were ecstatic when we heard we won," Manager Cathy Cox said. "We work really hard here. We enjoy the job here, but on those days we have to unload a truck in minus 20 degree weather, it can be brutal."

Cox has been working at the Feed Store since 2003.

"Matt Hahn bought this in 2002 and I started shortly after," Cox said. "I was working for the Silver Spur at the time when I was asked to manage this place. I grew up in Nebraska on a 6,000 acre ranch and, although I don't do the cowboy thing, my dad had a very outstanding herd of cattle."

Cox said, growing up the way she did, understanding feed and medicine became a way of life for her. She said there is a constant learning curve about taking care of livestock.

"Everyday we are learning something new about medicines," Cox said. "My dad was always aware of what medicines were being introduced and for what."

Tammy McVey, the assistant manager of the feed store also grew up around cattle and horses.

"I was born in Minnesota, but lived in Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. I moved up here over 20 years ago," McVey said. "My kid brother was working for the Silver Spur and I fell in love with the area."

Both women say Carbon County ranchers support their business.

"It is nice that the ranching community of this county support this feed store," Cox said. "That is how we keep the doors open. We know in return we have to support the ranchers and even local customers that have dogs and cats."

Cox said their strong customer service ethic sets them apart from chain feed stores.

"There are times people will call us after hours to help them out and both Tammy and I will come here and open for them," Cox said. "We are committed to real personal service and that is why we ended up getting business of the year."

Cox said she understands sometimes people forget to purchase food, so she or McVey will set food outside.

"Whether it is hay or cat food, we will put it outside," Cox said. "Then sometimes there are folk who can't come to us, we will come to them."

The feed store carries a huge selection of feeds.

Cox said she has noticed chicken feed has been on a major increase.

"It just started coming along about two years ago," Cox said. "The backyard chicken industry has gone crazy. If they buy their feed here, we buy their eggs and sell them here."

She buys the eggs for $3 a dozen and sells them for the same price.

"They are coming in and supporting us by purchasing their feed here, so we support them them this way," Cox said. "Plus the eggs are something appreciated by other customers. We go through about 20 dozen eggs a week. We have customers that love our eggs probably because of how fresh they are."

According to eggsfreshdaily.com, eggs in the supermarket can sometimes be up to two months old.

"The feed store is the place vet Dr. Warner McFarland comes every Wednesday to make sure we have all the medicines we should have for all the different animals," Cox said.

Another reason the feed store gets strong business from all over the county is how fresh their feed is compared to big store chains.

"Big stores get semi loads of feed taken to a warehouse and then they distribute it to all of their stores, but only as they need it," McVey said. "That feed sits in their warehouse until they get it all out. Our feed comes straight from the plant and there is no question our feed is fresh."

Cox said the feed store started selling propane a few years back and that has helped business. The Down to Earth dry cleaners picks up laundry and drops off laundry once a week.

"We also just started an online store," Cox said. "We have wanted to do an online store since Katie Hefner put it together or us."

Cox said the owner, Hahn, has been good to the staff.

"He just bought us an air conditioner and it makes a difference," Cox said. "He watches out for us and he gives us a lot of trust."

The managers said their customers also help out often.

"There was a time, in two feet of snow, we were having trouble unloading and Kip Kerbs came over and made all the difference," Cox said. "Otherwise it would have been a very long day."

Cox has many positive memories over the years.

"A memory that pops up to me is our pre-Black Friday sales, which I offer to the public before everyone leaves and goes shopping out of town.  We have a lot of people that come and shop locally and get their savings from this store, which we appreciate it," Cox said. "Then at the end of the day we usually have a small gathering of employees and the family, and close friends and enjoy the evening catching up."

Cox shared another memory.

"We also had a big event quite a few years ago, when we were able to bring in the Goliath, a Clydesdale from Priefert, Colorado and had it in our back room so everyone could come in and see this gentle giant," Cox said. "We had a lot of people and young kids to see this.  It was a big event for the people in Carbon County."

Cox said they did not notice a decline in business during COVID.

"There were protocols we had to change to serve people," Cox said. "But we really didn't have the drop off other businesses did."

Cox said every day creates a new memory in some way.

"The great memories are made by just being able to keep seeing the smiling faces of our coffee drinkers and repeat customers that continue to use the feed store as the local supplier," Cox said. "Making them happy, makes me happy."