UNITY – Pets in the area were happy to hear they do not have to worry about where their next meal will be coming from now that 4KS Feed and Supply has opened their doors.
4KS is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife duo, Jody and Michelle Kowerchuk, along with Stephanie Lanegraff. The business is located on First Avenue West in the building that was once housed Maverick Tannery.
Lanegraff, who grew up on her family’s mixed farm northwest of Unity, met with the Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald and 小蓝视频 to talk about the new venture. She did credit business partner Jody for coming up with the idea of selling pet food.
“He kind of wanted to open some kind of business but not sure what. He kind of grew up in the feed business with his dad at PN Feeds for years in North Battleford and when the news of Wiggles and Whiskers closing broke, he knew he had to fill that need in town,” said Lanegraff.
While the start up of the business was relatively quick, the support from the community and surrounding towns has been positive.
“We got some inventory of what we know people are using in but now we are making sure we have stuff that people need and what they want to buy. A lot of people are glad we are here,” she added.
Lanegraff also said that initially the business was to focus on household pets with the possibility of expanding to livestock, however, there have been requests for other feeds for animals such as chickens and goats.
“We have had some requests for fish related items and parrot seed. I was not aware there were large and medium parrots in Unity and Wilkie,” laughed Lanegraff.
With only a few weeks under their belt, 4KS is already talking to a dog groomer to come in on a weekly basis to do grooming as well as building a small kitchen to make homemade dog treats.
Lanegraff also said the trio is looking into doing some nutritional courses to help pet owners make informed decisions on what foods would be best for their fur-babies.
“I have always been a person to research what my animals need. I am more familiar with horses and dogs that participate in agility training but I understand proper nutrition is a high priority,” she added.
The business plans to keep their prices comparable to their competitors with as many Canadian brands possible. With in-town delivery now available, the business will be open Mondays to Fridays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.