Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Krieger.
Steve, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
O.K. Hatchery was founded by my grandfather, Oscar Krieger, in 1927. Come 2027, we will be celebrating 100 years of serving the Kirkwood community! What began as a small hatchery, catering in baby chicks & rabbits, has now blossomed into who we are today: a feed and garden store. With 4 generations of family working closely together, we’ve managed to stick around! Today, our focus is on garden supplies and feed for all kinds of wildlife. We do, however, still offer baby chicks in the Spring to stay true to our roots!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
With starting a business comes obstacles. We’ve been very fortunate though, to say we’ve always powered through! As time went on, baby chicks became less and less popular. So we turned our attention to broaden our selections, and focus more on garden supplies & feed. Thankfully, our wonderful and reliable customers have always been there to keep us going! Even through Covid, our sales stayed steady since we were considered an essential business. We are very grateful for our customers to keep up busy during those questionable times!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We specialize in all things feed & garden! From plants, fertilizer, mulch, and MORE! But our number one seller is our bird seed! We sell thousands of pounds of bird seed a week, and in BULK! Whether you need one pound, or fifty, we’ve got you covered! Plus, our seed is some of the freshest you can find, considering how often it goes out! We also have a wide selection of eclectic decor. From statues, chimes, and fun little trinkets. People often say, if we don’t have it, it must not exist!
What were you like growing up?
Growing up in a family that owns a business taught me a lot of discipline, Learning how to operate is one thing, but honing in on your customer service is just as important! I was looped into work from a young age, which helped shape me into who I am today. Being a part of OK Hatchery is what inspired me to get a degree in horticulture from Missouri State for some expertise in garden knowledge. It’s also helped me build connections around the community, and grow confidence as a business-person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.okhatchery.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okhatchery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/okhatchery
