Chris Joy takes over ownership of Pets Plus

Oct. 1—BEMIDJI — Chris Joy was going to work in the automotive industry, but a family calling and a love of animals brought him back home, and now he owns the pet store business that his parents started 30 years ago.

Chris purchased Pets Plus from his father and mother, Jim and Mary, on Aug. 1, but he's been working at the store located at 2014 Anne St. NW since 2007. He had just finished an automotive degree from South Central College in North Mankato, Minn.

"I actually had a job lined up at an auto dealership in St. Peter," Chris said, "but the economy was changing, and I was supposed to be a service manager."

But the person he was going to replace decided not to retire, and Chris was offered a part-time job instead.

"At the time, my parents said they needed someone at the store," he said. So Chris headed back home, bringing a talent for marketing and technology to the business. While Jim was still working full-time at Norbord, Mary welcomed the opportunity to work with their son at Pets Plus.

"Instead of just me, it was a team effort," Mary said. "It was two of us instead of one of us. So we split the chores over the years and we ended up being a team."

Chris said, "My first role here was just organizing and updating a lot of aspects of the store."

Pets Plus was founded in 1982. It all started with a sick dog, a yellow labrador retriever named Brutus. Jim and Mary Joy were concerned about their pet's health, so they wanted to change his diet.

"We found out that food made a huge difference," Jim said. "Most foods made him sick."

A friend recommended dog food from a store in Cloquet, Minn. So Jim started making the 320-mile round trip, and pretty soon other friends wanted the product. So they started selling it out of their home on Blackduck Lake as a delivery-only business.

"So it kind of became a hobby that got too busy to be a hobby," Jim said.

In 1998, the Joys moved the business to their current location, a former potato chip warehouse. They've since remodeled and expanded the building three times.

Besides updating the store and creating an online presence, Chris has added an entire pet food care line of products called North Winds Premium. It includes dry, freeze-dried and wet foods. More recently the business has added supplements, treats and chews.

"When we were looking for pet food companies to work with we were trying to find both value and quality," Chris said. "If I could control the quality and I could also buy direct I could offer a very good price."

He started working with a nutritionist in 2013 to formulate the products.

"A lot of our customers really liked it, and had trust in what we were trying to do," Chris said. "At the end of the day our word matters, so if we tell you something's good we want to make sure it's good from the smallest ingredient all the way up."

One of the most popular North Winds products is a yak cheese chew that comes from Nepal.

Jim and Mary said keeping Pets Plus in the family is indeed a joy.

"I think we're fortunate to be able to pass on what I've traditionally called a legacy business that we put so much effort into getting the ball rolling," Jim said. "When Chris came in he totally embraced it. Part of what made it easy is he loves pets. Since the day we opened this was about the customers. I'm insanely proud of how our focus has been on the customers and customer service. He shares that."

Although they no longer own the store, Mary plans to continue working there part-time, and Jim will offer advice when asked.

"When he needs me I'm a phone call away," Jim said. "I'm his sounding board."