MONROE - Businesses are improving and filling empty retail spaces on Monroe's far westside, bringing with them more customers, clients and employees.
A second location
Thunder Bridge Trading Company from Argyle expanded and took over a former computer company building at 132 W. 6th St.
RBS Activewear and Thunder Bridge Trading Company have been supplying schools with sports apparel for more than 25 years. Now owners Keith and Tina Ritschard are bringing the same products and service to Monroe.
Thunder Bridge Trading Company opened its second location in September to broaden its focus on businesses, clubs and individuals nationwide. The new location gives the company a retail store for its sports apparel, which includes Monroe Gear, Badger wear and tourist apparel, according to Keith Ritschard.
In addition to screen-printed and embroidered apparel, the new Monroe location highlights a full-service sign shop. Products include custom-made signs, banners, vehicle graphics, decals, awards, custom-lasered picture frames and framed canvas prints. Promotional products, from calendars to pens, are also available. Graphic artist Ryan Rufer is on-hand to design and produce the products, and he said he does go beyond the sports motif for customers.
With about a quarter of the 41 employees related to Keith and Tina, Thunder Bridge Trading Company has been a family business since 1987. So it is no surprise to find nephew Kurt Ritschard managing the new location.
Room to grow
Dave Mosher & Associates have revamped their style, their product offerings and their location.
Mosher transformed the building at 127 W. 8th St., from what was once a shoe store into office space with a large conference room available for community use.
The move from downtown also provides better parking and an extra two acres for future expansion.
With a penchant for preserving almost anything, Mosher started his building expansion and remodeling project with a design that incorporates his numerous historic items, from advertisement posters to furniture. All are restored, refinished or simply mounted and on display.
The main office area offers spacious room for the licensed associates to teamwork on their clients' insurance needs. But there are separate offices for privacy during financial planning with clients.
Mosher has added six new associates, including his son Scott, in the past two years, and is expecting two more to be joining soon.
Mosher said clients now have access to "all the companies, nationwide," including a line of products for agricultural endeavors, and to financial planning services.
"It gives our clients choices for now and in the future, and we can handle the biggest accounts," he added.
The culture of service to their clients has also been updated, turning the traditional formula of success on its head, Mosher said. Associates are spending 80 percent of their time, energy and resources on existing accounts and 20 percent on landing new accounts. He said the teamwork method is making his independent insurance agents more efficient at finding and assimilating information to find the right coverage for each client.
"Our motto has become: We don't want to be "that guy,'" he said.
Under one roof
Colony Brands Inc. Design Center expansion along West 8th Avenue is coming to a close.
In May, the company began constructing a 30,000-square-foot addition to its recently purchased building on Monroe's west side. The addition will increase the building's total size to 128,000 square feet.
The Design Center will be the hub of Colony Brands' catalog development, from concept of the book to final product design and selection. The Design Center is already in operation.
The new addition is for office space. In total, about 150 employees from different disciplines will combine into catalog brand teams and occupy the building by the end of this year.
The company purchased the former Walmart store building in February 2013 to house the Design Center, retrofitted the building soon after its acquisition and moved about 25 employees to the location in December.
A place for dogs
Also on tap for the westside this fall is Charlie's Bark Park. Owners Heidi and Todd Fahey broke ground recently for the dog daycare and training facility in the Honey Creek Industrial Park. The business broke ground at the end of August. The Faheys told the city in June it expects to build a 4,800-square-foot facility and employ 10 people. It will be the second location for the business; the other Charlie's Bark Park is in Belleville.
A second location
Thunder Bridge Trading Company from Argyle expanded and took over a former computer company building at 132 W. 6th St.
RBS Activewear and Thunder Bridge Trading Company have been supplying schools with sports apparel for more than 25 years. Now owners Keith and Tina Ritschard are bringing the same products and service to Monroe.
Thunder Bridge Trading Company opened its second location in September to broaden its focus on businesses, clubs and individuals nationwide. The new location gives the company a retail store for its sports apparel, which includes Monroe Gear, Badger wear and tourist apparel, according to Keith Ritschard.
In addition to screen-printed and embroidered apparel, the new Monroe location highlights a full-service sign shop. Products include custom-made signs, banners, vehicle graphics, decals, awards, custom-lasered picture frames and framed canvas prints. Promotional products, from calendars to pens, are also available. Graphic artist Ryan Rufer is on-hand to design and produce the products, and he said he does go beyond the sports motif for customers.
With about a quarter of the 41 employees related to Keith and Tina, Thunder Bridge Trading Company has been a family business since 1987. So it is no surprise to find nephew Kurt Ritschard managing the new location.
Room to grow
Dave Mosher & Associates have revamped their style, their product offerings and their location.
Mosher transformed the building at 127 W. 8th St., from what was once a shoe store into office space with a large conference room available for community use.
The move from downtown also provides better parking and an extra two acres for future expansion.
With a penchant for preserving almost anything, Mosher started his building expansion and remodeling project with a design that incorporates his numerous historic items, from advertisement posters to furniture. All are restored, refinished or simply mounted and on display.
The main office area offers spacious room for the licensed associates to teamwork on their clients' insurance needs. But there are separate offices for privacy during financial planning with clients.
Mosher has added six new associates, including his son Scott, in the past two years, and is expecting two more to be joining soon.
Mosher said clients now have access to "all the companies, nationwide," including a line of products for agricultural endeavors, and to financial planning services.
"It gives our clients choices for now and in the future, and we can handle the biggest accounts," he added.
The culture of service to their clients has also been updated, turning the traditional formula of success on its head, Mosher said. Associates are spending 80 percent of their time, energy and resources on existing accounts and 20 percent on landing new accounts. He said the teamwork method is making his independent insurance agents more efficient at finding and assimilating information to find the right coverage for each client.
"Our motto has become: We don't want to be "that guy,'" he said.
Under one roof
Colony Brands Inc. Design Center expansion along West 8th Avenue is coming to a close.
In May, the company began constructing a 30,000-square-foot addition to its recently purchased building on Monroe's west side. The addition will increase the building's total size to 128,000 square feet.
The Design Center will be the hub of Colony Brands' catalog development, from concept of the book to final product design and selection. The Design Center is already in operation.
The new addition is for office space. In total, about 150 employees from different disciplines will combine into catalog brand teams and occupy the building by the end of this year.
The company purchased the former Walmart store building in February 2013 to house the Design Center, retrofitted the building soon after its acquisition and moved about 25 employees to the location in December.
A place for dogs
Also on tap for the westside this fall is Charlie's Bark Park. Owners Heidi and Todd Fahey broke ground recently for the dog daycare and training facility in the Honey Creek Industrial Park. The business broke ground at the end of August. The Faheys told the city in June it expects to build a 4,800-square-foot facility and employ 10 people. It will be the second location for the business; the other Charlie's Bark Park is in Belleville.