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Popping its way to success in North Central Wisconsin
May 14, 2024
NEENAH – It’s a barkin’ good time at Pet Supplies Plus in Neenah.
The pet store, located at 872 Fox Point Plaza, recently reopened after spending the last five months renovating and expanding the shop.
The choice to do so, Owner Dave Heather said, came from meeting the needs of his customers.
“One of the concerns customers had‚ was (the shop) was small,” he said. “They wished we had a better selection of the products we carry‚ The other area where we were crowded was in our grooming department.”
As of May 18, Heather said the “new” Pet Supplies Plus in Neenah has solved all these needs.
For the people, the pets
The renovations, Heather said, benefit both the customers and their furry, feathered and scaly friends.
On top of an expanded array of items – such as offering more raw frozen and natural products for customers – he said the grooming department has doubled in size.
“The opportunity came up (for us to acquire) space next to us, so we decided it was a good idea to try and expand and meet our customer needs,” he said.
The extended grooming space, Heather said, will also allow for him to add five to eight more positions.
With the larger grooming department, Dave Heather said he plans to add five to eight more employees to the team. Photo Courtesy of Pet Supplies Plus
He said the expansion also includes a new community room for events and other activities.
While keeping the shop open throughout the remodel has been a “major inconvenience,” he said the feedback from his customers has been positive.
“One of our biggest things is when people buy heavier products from us – big bags of dog food or boxes of litter,” he said. “Our deal is we carry it out for the customer and make sure we bring their cart back. We’re known for (our) service, and it was a challenge during the remodel.”
Now that the expansion is completed, Heather said, service-wise, “we’re back to where we were.”
“Which is good because we needed to get our service level where it was and keep our customers understanding why we’re in business,” he said.
From automobiles to pets
Despite his love for animals and owning five Pet Supplies Plus stores in the state (including in West Bend, Sheboygan and two in Green Bay, in addition to the Neenah store), Heather said working in the pet industry is still fairly new to him – opening his first store in West Bend in 2020.
In fact, he said he was retired when the opportunity to purchase the Pet Supplies Plus shop came about – previously spending more than 30 years working in the automotive industry.
“I retired for a few years (after that), and I did some franchise consulting – helping people who were interested in becoming entrepreneurs find businesses they would be interested in,” he said.
Heather said he had introduced one of his clients to Pet Supplies Plus – and the rest fell into place from there.
During the remodel, Dave Heather said they more than doubled the original grooming department space. Photo Courtesy of Pet Supplies Plus
“Retirement, for me – I needed to do something,” he said. “Then I learned about Pet Supplies Plus, went to Detroit, met the CEO‚ and decided it was a great franchise. I love dogs and cats and animals, so I thought it’d be a great fit for me.”
In addition to offering supplies and services for the furry friends, Heather said his shops also offer products for other pets, such as fish, birds, bearded dragons and other reptiles.
“It’s fun to come in and look at the different animals and critters we have,” he said.
Supporting the pet community
On top of offering cat adoptions at all five of his locations, Heather said he also tries to help area pet organizations where he can – such as offering a roundup program at the register.
“Customers will donate an extra 40-50 cents‚ and all of that money we use for products for Hope Highway, the Neenah Animal Shelter, the Orphan Animal Rescue,” he said. “In West Bend, we work with the Washington County Humane Society and donate the products our customers round up (their change for)… monthly. We always come up with a good supply of products, where maybe we had a little broken bag‚ and rather than throw them out and discount them, we give them to the shelters and the humane society so they have extra product.”
As Heather looks to the future of his stores, he said he wants them to be “a local service to our customers who have pets,” as well as be a good community partner.
“That’s why I wanted to get into this,” he said. “I mean, we get puppies and dogs every day – it couldn’t be any better than that.”
To learn more about the Neenah location, visit its Facebook page.
