DECATUR — More than a century past when livestock trains brought new business to town, Garver Feeds continues to thrive at its downtown Decatur location.
Brothers Gene and Larry Garver are the third generation to own and operate Garver Feeds, and someday, they say, sons Shane and Trey will be the fourth generation.
Gene and Larry Garver’s grandfather started it the business 120 years ago on Sept. 3, 1898. W.S. Garver had a contract with the local railroad at the time. He would unload the livestock passing through the area, feed and water them and let them rest for eight hours. Then, he would load the livestock back on the train, and they would be on their way.
W.S. Garver had leftover feed from this operation and decided to begin selling it. Local residents bought feed for chicken, cattle, hogs and any other animals people had. This success led to the permanent location at Wabash Avenue, a tavern purchased in 1908.
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“(Grandpa) moved the tavern out of it and turned it into a feed store,” he said. “And it’s been there ever since.”
The same building is now used as the store’s warehouse, Gene Garver said.
The business has changed over the years, Gene Garver said. In the past, they mostly sold food for livestock. Now, the primary business is pet supplies like dog and cat food. They also sell lawn and garden products.
“In the mid '60s is when it kind of started moving over to where it was more pet, bird seed, dog food,” Gene Garver said. “The business just had to keep changing with the times.”
For example, Garver Feeds now sells high-quality specialty dog foods that are made with a meat base, with no filler or colors.
“Dog food was not even heard of back when grandpa had it, but now it is the main part of the business,” Gene Garver said. “People fed their dogs leftovers, garbage, hog food, any scraps they had.”
The healthy dog food is now a big part of the business, Gene Garver said. People can come to the store to find the perfect food for dogs who have digestion or other health issues.
“It is changing every day. We’ve had to make some changes because of internet sales and big companies,” he said. “So far it’s been OK, but it’s been a struggle.”
The business continues to grow especially since the time of W.S. Garver.
“It is funny that grandpa’s net sales in the early 1900s are what our daily sales are now,” Gene Garver said. “What he would do all year, now we do in a day.”
But the family has to keep trying new things to stay afloat. The key to staying in business is to provide high-quality products and extra customer service, Gene Garver said. They also sell products at competitive prices, he said. This is what keeps people coming to them instead of buying online or at a big store.
“It is so convenient for people to buy birdseed, dog food when they are at the grocery store,” he said.
Garver Feeds also started a wholesale business, which distributes products in a 200-mile radius of Decatur that includes St. Louis, Indianapolis, Chicago and Davenport, he said. The company produces and bags items for other pet shops and feed stores, he said.
“We have our own trucks, and they go out every day to their own cities,” he said.
They raise cattle and make products at a mill and warehouse in Bearsdale, Gene Garver said. His son, Shane, operates that portion of the business.
Scovill Zoo uses Garver Feeds for its animals, Gene Garver said. The Macon County Sheriff’s Office and the Decatur Police Department both use Garver’s food for their K-9 units.
A big part of the business is bird seed, Gene Garver said. The food is for wild birds and is a big hit with customers in the winter. A sale goes on during the fall, so people can buy bird seeds at a cheaper price, but they can pick up their seeds later in the winter so they will be fresh.
“We mix the bird seeds ourselves. They are good fresh seeds, turned every week, so they are quality seeds and not moldy and old,” he said.
The seed is fresh and free from pesticides, even though this means there are bugs in the product sometimes, he said.
“The pesticide is harmful to the bird, but the birds eat bugs, they don’t care,” he said.
Joey Harmon, runs the wholesale side of the business, started at Garver Feeds in 1983 as a high school student. She’s worked there through the years, and “it’s been an adventure,” she said.
“It’s been great working for a family-owned business,” she said. “The customer service is unique. We will take the time to help people.”
The 25 employees are closer than most workplaces, she said. People work together to provide a good experience and the best product for the customers, she said.
Retail manager Shelly Wallis is knowledgeable about the products, so when people come in she can answer the questions and direct them to what they need, Garver said.
Shelly has been at the store for 19 years. She said she enjoys working with the public and answering their questions.
“When people really have a problem, they want to come here and talk to you about it,” she said. “You have to know their problem, so you can help them.”
For example, Wallis will help customers find the best food for their dog who has a food allergy. She will also give suggestions for different types of bird feed, depending on what birds people what to attract.
She can also give advice on lawn and garden care, and when someone picks out the perfect product, she will carry it to their car.
“It is really the personal touch that people are still coming here,” she said.
Trey Garver said the family business is unique.
“It was established few decades after the Civil War for goodness sakes,” he said.
Trey Garver stayed in Decatur where he knows his family, and he knows the business, he said.
Trey Garver said he doesn’t think about the generational aspect of his job every day. But when he does, he realizes “how much history I have that other people don’t have,” he said.
“(Other) people move across the country and lose track of their family history,” he said.
Gene Garver said running a family business can mean that customers become family. They help customers who need help and customers look after the family too.
“It has grown out from the family business, and now it is all family,” he said. “A lot of them are generally interested in us, our family, our personal lives.”