Susan Snider and her horse, Redge, at Opening Hunt in 2010. Photo by Karey Burkholder.
As riders, we can sometimes forget about all of the hard work that goes into the things that are necessary for us to compete. What goes into running the tack shops, feed stores, etc that keep us equipped with what we need? I had the pleasure of working at Snider’s Elevator all through college. I learned how much sweat, long hours, and customer care goes into running a business. I had the pleasure of talking with Susan Snider, owner and manager, to learn more about how the business started and what goes into running it.
Snider’s Elevator is located in Lemasters, PA, a teenie, tiny town in south central Pennsylvania. Though it is in “the middle of nowhere,” it has quite a large client base, as they service many of the local dairy farms, horse farms, and other livestock operations. They are also a one stop shop, as they carry dog/cat food, bird feed, farm supplies, and have a tack shop! Long standing family owned businesses have always fascinated me. Years of hard work go into starting a business like this, and I give props to families that can stick with it through the good and the bad. In 1929, Bruce Snider, Susan’s great grandfather, opened a feed mill called B.C. Snider and Son. Little did he know that it would still be at thriving business 83 years later!
Mr. Bill and Phyllis Snider, married 58 years and counting. Photo by Susan Snider.
Anyone that goes to Snider’s knows Mr. Bill Snider, Susan’s father. As a youngster, he drove the feed truck and helped in the mill before his father had a heart attack in 1975. Bill took over the mill, and he took it very seriously. He married his beautiful wife, Phyllis, in 1954, and they had two children, Susan and Paul. Bill and Phyllis could be found at the mill at all hours working to keep the business thriving. Even now, Bill can be found crawling around on the feed bins and staying late during harvest season. Phyllis was a staple behind the counter, taking care of customers and helping with anything and everything in the store. When asked about what it was like growing up around the business, Susan said:
Life growing up with the business and with my parents is one and the same. You can’t separate the two. All dinners resembled business meetings and often Mom would leave work to rush home and prepare meals for us and perhaps a sales rep or customer. They would often invite other people over so that they could discuss business while eating. Life revolved around family and business. Dad seldom left the business to do anything, so Mom juggled running errands, cooking, cleaning, picking up kids after band or sports practice, etc. with neighbors all working together as a community, we always had transportation to and from school events. Also she worked in the office handling book keeping duties. Dad ran the mill, and handled grain handling at harvest time. His work was and is very physical and dirty/dusty. Usually working long days 12-15 hours 6 days a week. So as kids we learned to sweep floors…lots of sweeping. Sorted feed bags, move feed bags, weigh out ingredients, tie feed bags shut…lots of tying! Eventually learning to make feed. I thought it was great that at night they would leave me alone (the other employees had gone home) to make feed, while dad did other jobs. Also we learned how to handle grain at harvest time.
Susan has always had a deep love for horses, though no one in her family had any interest. She saved her money from working at the mill to buy her first horse at age 13. She hasn’t looked back since! After high school, she went to college for business and returned home after to start managing the store in the mid-1990’s. Susan let her love for horses steer her toward expanding the small store into a bigger store that included a tack shop!
Susan and her lurchers hanging out in the tack shop of Snider's. Photo by Mahlon Yeager
Susan spends a lot of time researching the best products to carry for her customers. She is very interested in making sure that all of the riders that come into the store have many products to chose from. It is not an easy task to choose what people will want and what they won’t be interested in. As far as the eventing world goes, Susan always stocks show clothes, XC vests, helmets, studs, and tack. I, for one, know that I have a hard time getting myself out of there when I visit! Snider’s also carries a wide varieties of feed for horses. They carry Southern States and ADM feeds, as well as special blends of their own. Nutrition is something that is very important in our sport, and I find it very intriguing. If a customer has something very specific that they want, Susan will spend time talking with different nutritionists to come up with a blend just for them. There is a lot of hard work that goes into making feed from when it arrives at harvest until it is bagged up and in your truck.
The feed bins and scales at Snider's. Photo by Susan Snider
Susan bought all of the business shares in November of 2009, making her the sole owner of this wonderful family owned business. The store’s mission statement is, “Provide excellent service and products to all customers and work together to make their experience and/or their business and ours a success.” She wants every customer to be happy!
Susan currently foxhunts in the fall/winter and trail rides in the spring/summer. However, her new horse, Redge, is quite the athlete, and I am trying to convince her to take up eventing. She loves watching the sport, and she thinks she and Redge just might try taking it up. I hope they do!
