News

Rory Feddersen runs Simple Sports, a family-owned bicycle and alternative sports store at 326 E. Main St. In addition to sales and service on bicycles, Simple Sports boasts the largest in-store selection of disc golf merchandise between Madison and Minneapolis. Sales and service on hockey equipment, skateboards and snowboards are also available.

Menomonie, Wis.—His mother has worked in retail for years and his father is a retired pipefitter and welder. 

“I get my customer service focus from my mom and my mechanical skills from my dad,” said Rory Feddersen of Simple Sports.  

Feddersen describes his parents as very social people, and he credits both of them for his own desire to take care of customers.  “What they taught me growing up helps me listen and react to customers’ needs and then propose solutions,” he said.    (more…)

Photo courtesy of Jim D'Angelo

Only 20 percent of a photographer’s time is actually spent taking photographs. A majority of the time is spent motivating and engaging people to make them feel comfortable in front of the camera. Or better yet, to forget the camera is even there.

 Photography that captures the affectionate bond between a bride and groom, the toothless grin of an infant, the confidence of a high school senior, or the personality of a pet captures a moment that has meaningful significance.  (more…)

Sandy Ott of Ms.Ellaneous, 320 E. Main St., has brought back the anticipation and excitement of pre-mall era sales, which only happen a few times a year, with the launch of downtown Menomonie’s Ladies Night Out events.

Maybe it was a seven-year itch. Or maybe it was purely the desire to be one’s own boss. But the English teacher that would one day launch our city’s increasingly popular Ladies Night Out events purchased a family-run shoe store in downtown Menomonie not far into her teaching career.

After teaching in junior and senior high schools in Wisconsin for seven years, Sandy Ott began looking for the opportunity to own a small business. Soon after hearing Reed’s Shoe Store in Menomonie was for sale, Ott became the 50-year-old store’s second owner.

The former teacher found herself on the learning side again. “I took over an existing business without any experience,” Ott said.

Fortunately, Reed’s Shoe Store was the seller of footwear from the Brown Shoe Company. The shoe company provided training on its own set of bookkeeping procedures, and this helped Ott’s small business career take off.

Her lessons in small business ownership were just beginning, however. Within a year or two of taking over the shoe store, the era of “The Mall” changed the shopping landscape for independent store owners forever.

Customer expectations of discounted sales changed drastically. Gone were the days of major sales once or twice a year that created excitement and long lines of customers waiting for the doors to open.

The new mall mentality taught customers that sales happened weekly, “every Wednesday,” explained Ott. “Something would always be on sale. There was no reason to pay full price anymore.”

A new mall in North Menomonie began to draw customers away from the small downtown shops in the heart of Menomonie. Ott witnessed the exodus. “People no longer came across the bridge,” she said.

Ott closed the shoe store, revised her strategy and reopened a year a half later as the clothing and shoe boutique Ms.Ellaneous. She featured quality apparel at moderate prices, buying as few items as possible to lessen the possibility that customers would see their new purchases being modeled by someone else in town. The Tribal clothing line she has carried has been popular.

Ott had found her niche.

Ott was named the 2002 Small Business of the Year by the Greater Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce. And for 2007, she earned the Downtown Revitalization Award from Main Street of Menomonie.

Another achievement would come just a year later. Ott began hearing about a shopping event just for women in nearby downtown areas. She decided to bring it to Menomonie.

In 2008, Ott launched a series of retail events called Ladies Night Out with the assistance of Lori Shervey of Moonlight Over Menomin and Kate Keyes of Paper Kutz. Bringing back the concept of the “anticipated” sale, three events were held the first year and two events were held last year.

Word spread. And women came.

Due to customer demand, the number of events is back to three this year. And this year’s events include the largest number of participating retailers ever.

“Ladies Night Out brings people into the store that I’ve never seen before,” Ott said. “New faces. Younger people. Women who are surprised to learn that Ms.Ellaneous is not a ‘mothers’ store,” she laughed.

According to Ott, the biggest success of the events, though, is seeing women have fun.

“Groups of girlfriends have made Ladies Night Out a tradition,” Ott said. “The excitement of shopping downtown is back.”

Girls just want to have fun, Dunn County News, Menomonie, April 4, 2010

Cindy and Greg Kleindl, holding Lady Bug, own Kleindl’s Flowers on Main, 305 E. Main St. The couple say Valentine’s Day is the busiest time of the year for them, second only to Mother’s Day.

Where love grows

A bouquet of red roses is a time-tested tradition on Valentine’s Day. But for a little extra spice, think orange.

“Orange is popular right now,” said Cindy Kleindl of Kleindl’s Flowers on Main.

Cindy Kleindl suggests orange Gerber daisies, or a nice assortment of mixed flowers personally selected by the customer. Flowers on Main has a variety of 25 to 27 locally grown flowers from which to choose. The norm for floral shops is 20 varieties.

“We make it easy for a customer to say, ‘I like this, this and this,’” Cindy Kleindl said.

Husband and wife team Cindy and Greg Kleindl have been in business together in downtown Menomonie for 16 years. Their business is the longest, single-owned floral shop in the area.

To walk into their shop is to walk into the comforts of a cozy cottage. The south-facing storefront embraces the sun, bringing cheerful warmth to the space. And, exposed brick walls provide a natural backdrop to fresh and silk arrangements.

A customer walks in and picks up a floral arrangement that her son ordered. The son will give it to his girlfriend. “My future daughter-in-law, I hope,” the customer said with a twinkle in her eye.

It is obvious that love is in the air.

And love seems to permeate the space—from the comfortable camaraderie between husband and wife to their obvious love for lush greens and fragrant florals to the couple’s affection for furry and feathered friends.

It is customary for patrons to be greeted by the twittering quartet of Spuds the cockatiel and his bird buds—two canaries and a finch. Customers also enjoy peek-a-boo visits from Otis, a Persian cat, and Lady Bug, a Pekingese-Chihuahua mix. The two may be glimpsed playing among the greenery, home décor, bird baths and bird houses, and unique outdoor pots.

“They add atmosphere to the shop,” Greg Kleindl said.

An atmosphere of love, I believe.

So, if you decide to express your love to someone this Valentine’s Day with a dozen red roses, or a bouquet of orange Gerber daisies, or even a food basket and balloons, please consider the source. And, buy them from a local shop like Flowers on Main—a place where love grows.

Romance blooming throughout downtown

Want something else to accompany those special flowers? Additional gift ideas are within steps of Kleindl’s Flowers on Main:

— Share a love of reading by visiting Bookends on Main or Rose of Sharon Christian Bookstore.

— Celebrate a Do-It-Yourself Valentine’s Day by crafting the perfect Valentine’s Day card at Scrapalicious. Follow it up with a hand-strung necklace or bracelet with beads from A Cute Bead, or a pair of hand-painted wine or martini glasses that you created at Jawanta Paint Café.

— Find that nostalgic gift to remind your sweetheart of your romantic, early years together at Time and Country Antiques. Then capture the moment at D’Angelo Photography Studio.

— Pamper your sweetheart with a massage, a makeover, a manicure or a tanning package. Choose from Beauje, Leissa’s and My Style salons, as well as Alice Nails 2, Parrot Bay Tanning and Riverwood Therapeutic Massage.

— Jewelry is always a nice touch. Fine jewelry like Hot Diamonds is available at Anshus Jewelers, or find something fun, funky and fabulous at places like La dee dah, Carpe Diem, Ms.Ellaneous or Itsza Boutique.

— And, girls, rev up your guy’s engine with a gift certificate to Auto Value.

— Make your Valentine’s Day heart healthy with a Mainstreet Health and Fitness membership, enrollment in classes at Jewelry Box Dancer or Red Dragon Academy, or ask Simple Sports or Bat Cat Bicycles about tandem bikes. And don’t forget a heart-healthy box of dark chocolates from Legacy Chocolates.

— Warm your honey’s heart with a cup of Joe. Options range from drive-through convenience of Java to Go to sit-down conversations at Acoustic Café, The Raw Deal and Legacy Chocolates.

— Choose a romantic candlelit dinner at home with food items from Menomonie Market Food Co-op or eat out at more than a dozen places to wine and dine downtown.

— Does the “Sound of Music” make your heart flutter? Then plan ahead and buy you and your sweetie tickets to see Elisabeth Von Trapp at the Mabel Tainter Center for the Arts March 13.

— Or, plan a romantic spring or summer getaway at Travel Now.

— And for the really strong at heart, consider matching tattoos from Rogue’s Gallery.

Happy Valentine’s Day from Main Street of Menomonie.

Published in the Dunn County News, Feb. 7, 2010