New Arlee feed store owners settle into business
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ARLEE–Headley Family Feed, a new iteration of an old Arlee business, will continue to stock feed and livestock supplies with added services in response to customer request.
“We care about taking care of the customer and what the customer thinks,” said owner Breanne Headley.
Headley grew up in Clinton, Montana, and currently lives near Seattle. She said that she and her husband plan to move back to Montana, eventually. Headley’s husband has experience in the feed business, and so, she thought: “Maybe when we move back to Montana we can open a feed store.”
Headley’s uncle, John Sykes, lives in Arlee and told her that the feed store, 93 Feed & Supply, was listed for sale. Headley’s reaction was, “Why not?”
She and her husband bought the business and took over management in August. Headley and her husband plan to move back to Montana in the next two years.
For now, Sykes runs the store during the week, and Headley’s cousin Abbe Moran manages the store on the weekends.
Headley said she looks forward to running the business in a community that she admires. She spent time in Arlee as a child because she had family in the area.
“There’s a lot of good people there, so I’m excited to be part of the community,” Headley said.
According to Headley, serving the community is a tenet that drives her approach to business. She wants to collaborate with other local businesses and organizations and plans to use customer feedback to shape Headley Family Feed. In the months that the store has been open, the business has already found a way to expand to serve the needs of Arlee.
“Everyone has said ‘you know, it would be great if I didn’t have to drive to Missoula if I needed a bolt,’” she said.
Headley said that in response, the store would stock hardware supplies to fill the need for a local source of building and repair materials.
On Oct. 16, Headley Family Feed hosted a seminar on livestock nutrition. Headley said that the store would provide regular educational events that support local farmers, ranchers, 4-H and FFA.
Headley wants the store to continue to be a community gathering place. She said that while she did remove a beloved table where locals used to gather for coffee and socializing, she replaced it with a bar and left the coffee pot in its place.
“I still want people to come into the local feed store and have coffee and talk about what’s going on,” she said.
Headley encouraged community members to visit the revamped store. Headley Family Feed is open 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
