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HURONTOWN - It was 1960 when Willard Erickson opened Erickson Feed in Dollar Bay. At the time it was strictly a place for farmers. They mixed the feed themselves. Since then, the store has changed hands and directions.

In 1986, Dean LaTendresse took over, and in 1990, LaTendresse moved the store from Dollar Bay to Hurontown. They moved away from mixing their own feed, and instead sold strictly bagged feed. As time moved on, Erickson Feed, Seed and Pet Supply has continued to evolve.

LaTendresse has continued to help the business grow by adding products, and on the day before Thanksgiving, they opened the doors for the first time, with a brand new building.

"The one reason we built the new store was to accommodate the new demand," LaTendresse said.

The new demand includes an expanded lawn and garden department, and a much expanded area for pet supplies and food.

Erickson Feed, Seed and Pet Supply has a full line of lawn and garden supplies ranging from fertilizers to chemicals to seeds, including organic options, LaTendresse said.

"The whole gardening industry is going to grow for everybody," LaTendresse said. "I think it's going to be a strong year for that."

For pets, they have a little bit of everything. The store has pet toys for dogs and cats, 15 lines of food and the largest selection of bird feed in the area.

"We try to carry things you won't find at grocery stores or big-box stores," LaTendresse said, adding that they are always look for new products to offer.

"(The new store) has a more friendly shopping atmosphere, everything is displayed a little better," LaTendresse said. "People browse around a lot more now."

Besides adding the new building and focusing on pets and lawn and garden, the nearly 50-year-old business is also sticking with what got them started.

"Our hobby farm business continues to increase with more and more people getting into it," LaTendresse said.

The new store still utilizes the old building that was built when they moved to Hurontown in 1990. The two buildings are attached, with the original building used as cold storage for the bag feed.

"Comments have been very positive on the new store," LaTendresse said. "It has been a pretty smooth transition."

Erickson Feed, Seed and Pet Supply is located on Main Street in Hurontown near Family Video.

Michael H. Babcock can be reached at mbabcock@mininggazette.com.