ELGIN — Forty-three years ago, Alan Faust was the ‘new man on the block.’
It marked the beginning of his association with Jerry’s Feed Service. Now, in the matter of a few days, he and his wife Patty will no longer be the owners of the successful feed business, having sold the business to Heath and Michele Clausen of Leigh.
“Patty and I would like to slow down a little,” Faust said earlier this month. “Get rid of some stress, late nights and early mornings.”
The sale will be finalized on the final day of the month and the new owners, according to Faust, plan to continue to keep the name Jerry’s Feed in large part due to the reputation the business has earned through the years.
The process of selling the business began six months ago. The Fausts worked with Ted Baum to get the business sold.
“Ted did a helluva job,” Faust said.
Having anticipated it might take a year or more to get the business sold, Faust said they were approached by the Clausens expressing their interest in expanding. The Clausens own and operate Heartland Nutrition based in Leigh.
Once the sale is finalized, Faust said he and Patty will stay with the business for a period of six months to ease the transition. After that, Alan said he plans to work part-time for an extended period of time.
Among his favorite hobbies, Alan said he hopes to do more fishing as there will now be time.
Faust began working at the business in the early 80s, then became part-owner from 1987 to 1999. After his father passed away, he and Jerry Faust shared ownership of the business. Then, in 2013, when Jerry decided to retire, Alan became sole owner of the Elgin business.
“Elgin is super, a super good trade area and has super people,” he said. “That’s why it’s going to be a little tough. Of course, I’ll be around anyway for a long time … Most of our customers are our friends.”
Customers could always count on Jerry’s Feed being open. Alan said with the exception of a few instances, the business has been open Mondays thru Saturday mornings to serve their loyal customers.
“And there were plenty of Sundays too when somebody needed something that we would come up (from Petersburg).
Together, Alan and Patty Faust have served our community, kept their customers happy and, in turn, they kept coming back. They are both confident the new owners will continue the great service to customers which has built Jerry’s Feed’s reputation throughout the years.
About Heartland Nutrition, it was founded in 1989 by a group of nutritionists who saw opportunities to produce healthier, better performing cattle. According to their website, Heartland Nutrition products and programs are based on preventative measures to help cattle perform at their best … Working with a network of remote salesman and nutritionists, Heartland Nutrition prides itself on customer service. “It’s our mission statement and our top priority to provide our customers with the best products and second to none customer service.”
At Heartland Nutrition, the only thing more important than a quality product is our customers. With a passion for people, our main goal is going above and beyond for our customers.
