A Passion to Succeed: Meet Curt Jacques of West Lebanon Feed & Supply

Editor’s note: We’re excited to introduce you to some of our
retail partners across the country. These stores have a great selection of our
products and friendly staff who will support you with great customer service.

West
Lebanon Feed & Supply, based in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, opened its
doors in 1926, expanding substantially to a new retail and animal well-care
facility in 2007. As described on their website, “The
local country feed store has long been a part of the New England tradition.
Visiting your local feed store has always involved more than just purchasing
grain and provisions, it has been a place to catch up on the latest gossip,
connect with the community, and exchange ideas.” You can find anything from Kurgo products to live poultry to gardening supplies in the store, and their customer
service is amazing.

The
store has received countless awards, most recently being named Best Overall
Retailer by Global Pet Expo (the world’s largest pet-industry expo) and
national “Retailer of the Year” by SuperZoo/Pet Product News International. We’re
excited to introduce you to owner Curt Jacques who shares his thoughts
including how he got into this business, what he’s learned along the way, and
what he thinks it takes to succeed in retail.

An outside view of the store

Kurgo: Tell us how you got into this
business.

Curt Jacques: I grew up in the feed business
and worked for a National Feed Manufacturer for 17 years. The store we
purchased was a customer of mine and the timing was right.

Kurgo: What’s your favorite part the
job?

CJ: Meeting new people and
being there to truly help them make the right buying decision. We don’t sell
people, we help them.

Kurgo: Are there any interesting
products you sell that people might find interesting?

CJ: We sell maple sugaring supplies.

Kurgo: What’s the most interesting
animal to visit the store?

CJ: A camel!

Kurgo: What’s the most interesting
customer interaction you’ve had?

CJ: The most interesting customer
was a woman who purchased a bag of dog food that was “regular bites.” The trouble
began when we incorrectly loaded a bag of “small bites” into her car, intended
for small dogs. This happened on a Friday and she came back on Monday to tell
us that we had loaded the right formula but the wrong food. Naturally we
assured her there was no problem and offered to switch the bag. We apologized
and said we’d pay more attention next time. Thinking we were all on the same
page, she then yelled out “YOU DON’T
UNDERSTAND! IT MADE MY DOG SMALL! EVEN MY DAUGHTER NOTICED!” I suddenly
realized that she was serious and very upset, so I took care of the exchange
and personally brought the bag to her car apologizing before she went on her
way. I came back to the showroom to see my staff that had witnessed this
staring in complete amazement. Without missing a beat, I said to them “It’s a
good thing you didn’t give her pig food!”

Kurgo: What’s the biggest thing
you've learned along the way?

CJ: The biggest thing I learned was
if you have expectations of your community supporting you, then you better be
supporting your community! Great stewardship is a must. Additionally, make sure
you hire the right employees who believe in your passion!

Kurgo: Can you share a piece of
advice for anyone considering opening a retail store in the pet industry?

CJ: Understand what your passion is
and work for someone in the industry for six months to see if this is your bowl
of food. It takes passion, business sense, passion, customer and people skills,
passion and a great business model! (Oh yeah, did I mention passion?)

Kurgo: What are your best-selling
Kurgo items?

CJ: We sell a lot of travel bowls (Collaps-A-Bowl)
and Skipping Stones.

Kurgo: Running a business has its
challenges. Do you have any tips for keeping it real?

CJ: Be practical have a big sense of humor and enjoy your
passion! Find the right people who believe in what you do and most of all, be
genuine!

An inside view of the neatly merchandised offerings at the store

Brooke Spater oversees Social Media Marketing at Kurgo. Among other things, she manages the Kurgo blog and enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 kids, and their 90 lb. Goldendoodle named Baxter.