Webster Experiencing Economic Uptick With New Businesses
WEBSTER, S.D. (AP) — After walking out of Perfect Pickins Boutique & Bistro on a recent summer day, California resident Katrina Eszlinger surveyed the town in which her grandmother grew up.
“I’ll definitely be living in South Dakota sometime soon,” said the 20-year-old. “People are so friendly here. I think I’ll either be in Webster or maybe Aberdeen. In California, if you try talking to a stranger, they’ll yell at you. Here, anyone will talk to anyone.”
In town for a family matter, Eszlinger, her mother, Kathy Minich, and her grandmother, Shirley (Eszlinger) Farness were spending the afternoon perusing a seemingly revitalized Main Street in Webster, the town where Farness graduated from high school back in 1957.
“We were here in 2011 and it seemed like the town was sad and depressed,” Minich said. “It has a completely different feel now. There’s an energy here now. This younger generation has put its spirit and soul into the town.”
A town of close to 1,900 as of the last census count, Webster is in the midst of a mini-boom with a handful of new businesses either already opened or planning to open, the Aberdeen American News ( ) reported. But before operating, having to reach out to sites like Smarter Business is definitely an important business move.
In mid-June along U.S. Highway 12, a new Shopko Hometown location and a new store called Marcy Lucy Boutique opened.
On the west side of town, easily visible from the highway, a new tire shop is set to open later this year. It’s a joint venture between Community Oil of Glacial Lakes and Twin Valley Tire.
Boomers Outback and Motel also recently made improvements to its complex along the busy road. But it isn’t all about U.S. 12, which slices through the north side of town. Main Street is also witnessing an uptick, said Webster Area Development Corp. Executive Director Melissa Fose.
“It has been a little bit of a challenge to get people to come up to Main Street, but things have been changing,” Fose said. “I think a lot of our success here lately is due to our leadership. There’s a very progressive, positive group of doers here. If they see an opportunity, they take it.”
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Fose said part of the credit for the recent burst of new life into the business community should go to Design South Dakota, a three-day symposium that was in Webster in September.
Put on by the South Dakota chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Rural Learning Center out of Howard, the workshop offered current and potential business owners an opportunity to bounce ideas off of each other and get advice from a collection of professionals and community planners.
Perfect Pickins owner Amy Miller was one of the people who benefited from the gatherings, which consisted of several meetings and a September workshop, Fose said.
“I do think that part of why everything is happening now is because of the Design SD workshop,” Fose said. “I think it got people thinking more about the future and what they want. Amy told me that, when she went to the first Design SD meeting in June last year, she said, ‘I think I need to open this store now.'”
On Nov. 28, Miller opened the store on Main Street, and she recently expanded its hours for summer.
Also on Main Street, the La Bella Vita salon recently opened a small boutique in its space, and the Flower Cart enjoyed one of the best six-month stretches of sales in its two decade-plus history, according to owner Bob Dosch.
Fose said recent ownership turnover at the Blossom Shoppe and Gifts and The Galley Steakhouse, Lounge and Motel has also breathed new life into the business community.
As evidenced by the number of recent boutique-style store openings, Spot On Printing owner Jacki Hoven said the recent boom has been largely driven by female entrepreneurs.
“Main Street is being overrun by women business owners,” said Hoven, seemingly only half-joking. “If you look downtown, The Decoy Bar now has a woman owner, along with La Bella Vita, Perfect Pickins, just to name a few.”
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Webster, however, is also witnessing a boost in manufacturing and the job growth that comes with it. Anderson Industries announced last year that it was moving into town and currently employs about 35 people at its Webster location, said Fose.
Community Oil owner Danny Kjos has said the new tire shop, which will also service trucks and semis, will employ about eight once it is open.
“It’s not always easy to get people off Highway 12 and up the hill, but Main Street is being revived, which is great to see,” said Hoven, who recently moved the store she co-owns to 1119 Main St. “I think Melissa has spearheaded a lot of the Main Street stuff. There’s just a lot of activity in Webster right now, and it’s an exciting place.”
A Twin Cities transplant who came to the area in 2013, Fose said Webster is a community that cares about the quality of life it offers its residents.
“It’s a really good spot and a great location,” Fose said. “We have a lot of things for kids to do, a new pool, baseball (and) soccer complexes that are new and well-maintained. The community invests in itself and supports itself.”
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Despite the growth, Webster is still very much a small town and figures to always be a small town, a fact that sits well with Eszlinger.
“I love the small-town feel,” she said. “Everybody knows everybody, and you’re so connected to the community. It’s not like that in Orange County and I want that.”
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Information from: Aberdeen American News,
