A $10,000 grant came at the perfect time for Alanza Kinzle, owner of the Feedlot in Iola.
The Feedlot was one of eight businesses in Kansas, and one of 400 across the country, tapped to receive a Backing Small Business Grant from Main Street America.
The grant, which was supported by American Express, was announced in February.
“I didn’t realize the scale of what I was applying for,” Kinzle said. “I didn’t realize how competitive it would be. We’re very blessed, very grateful.”
The grant has already been put to use.
That’s because the Feedlot already was undergoing a remodeling effort, through which Kinzle took down a wall connecting the storefront to the building’s warehouse area to allow her to create a new “cattle nook” filled with various products specifically for cattle producers.
That work started in December.
Once Kinzle received word about the grant, it allowed her to add more shelving to the store area, and to build a special treat cart, custom made by Jordan and Ryan Janzen of Back Roads Creations in Kincaid.
The wheeled cart holds a variety of pet snack products displayed around the base, with retractable drawers at the bottom, and with openings on its solid wood surface to hold small pails of the various treats.
Think of it as a one-stop, ala carte experience for pets.
“I’ve dreamed about something like this for years,” Kinzle said. “I’m very proud of it. The grant gave us the opportunity to add this.”
More so, it meant the Main Street Grant effectively supported two local businesses, Kinzle added.
“I told Jordan what I wanted, and she designed it for me,” Kinzle said. “It took about two weeks. They did a great job.”
The treat cart was delivered at the end of February.
Kinzle said the cattle nook has proven popular with customers, as have the added shelves in the store area.
All that remains of the expansion is some minor work in the warehouse.
Customers will dictate any future work, Kinzle said.
“It’s a matter of figuring out where they want us to grow,” she said. “We’ll get their feedback to see what they like, what we’re missing.”
