-Messenger photograph by Lori Berglund
Joel Kempter is the brand new retailer supervisor at Bomgaars in Fort Dodge.
Household owned, based in Iowa, and serving the Midwest, typically with merchandise made proper right here, that’s the mission for Bomgaars, based on new Fort Dodge Retailer Supervisor Joel Kempter.
A Sioux Metropolis native, Kempter got here to Fort Dodge from the Webster Metropolis retailer earlier this 12 months. He’s been with Bomgaars about seven years, and appreciates that native, household focus for this unbiased retailer.
“We wish to supply issues made within the Midwest,” Kempter mentioned. “Bomgaars is predicated out of Sioux Metropolis, and we’ve nice relationships with loads of distributors there. Jolly Time Pop Corn, Palmer Sweet Firm, which is the place Twin Bings come from, these are all from Sioux Metropolis.”
Bulk sweet, the type one doesn’t discover simply wherever anymore, is simply one of many perks inside the shop, based on Kempter. Bomgaars constructed its status as a farm retailer, nevertheless it’s actually way more at the moment.
“For those who’re on the lookout for a bolt, otherwise you’re on the lookout for a coat, we’re in all probability going to have it,” he mentioned. “We simply have an actual large breadth of merchandise.”
Kempter earned his diploma in enterprise administration from Western Iowa Tech in Sioux Metropolis. He joined Bomgaars as a administration trainee and labored at three shops across the Sioux Metropolis space early in his profession. His first retailer to handle was in Canton, S.D., earlier than shifting to Webster Metropolis and now the Fort Dodge retailer. He and his spouse have two younger daughters and revel in making central Iowa their residence.
“It’s thrilling to be right here, and it’s a great alternative to develop personally and professionally,” Kempter mentioned.
From 4-H children coming in to purchase chicks to lift, farmers on the lookout for components, or girls on the lookout for every little thing, on daily basis is slightly completely different for this retailer.
For farmers, fluids, lubricants, grease and extra are vital provides that Bomgaars presents. Clothes is in inventory, however not only for farmers, Kempter mentioned. The shop additionally carries clothes for youths and ladies, together with all sorts of footwear. From work boots to jewellery, trailer tires to greeting playing cards, it’s a spread that isn’t simply rivaled at different shops.
“Carhartt has a really huge footprint in all of our shops,” Kempter mentioned. “DeWalt instruments are one other actually vital model for us.”
As the vacation season approaches, search for Bomgaars to ramp up its provide of toys, together with an enormous choice of farm toys.
“When you’ve got a baby who needs a farm toy that appears like Grandpa’s tractor, we’ve in all probability bought it,” Kempter mentioned.
Garden and Backyard is one other standard division at Bomgaars. As residence canning elevated throughout the pandemic, canning provides turned onerous to seek out. That’s the place Bomgaars got here in and labored onerous to extend the supply of provides for residence canners.
“Our purchasing group from Sioux Metropolis went out and bought lots from different suppliers,” he mentioned. “We now have a extremely good provide.”
That selection retains issues fascinating for Kempter and the roughly 40 workers on the Fort Dodge retailer.
“It’s one thing completely different on daily basis, serving to folks resolve issues, discover what they want, that’s what I get pleasure from,” he mentioned. “There’s at all times a brand new problem, a brand new alternative to be taught one thing.”
Bomgaars has 107 brick and mortar shops in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho.
Native hours in Fort Dodge are 7:30 a.m. to eight p.m. Monday-Saturday, and 9 a.m. to six p.m. Sunday.
And if you wish to discover a few of these uncommon farm toys, Bomgaars will open at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.
Discussion about this post