Delbert and Susan Schlabach, owners of both The Home Place general store and Tried and True Granola Co. in Georgetown, have their sights set on expansion.
Right now, Delbert and other family members are busy filling orders of smoked turkey, beef brisket, ribs and other delicacies that families love this time of year.
But what's big on their minds is the factory they plan to open early next year to manufacture Susan's "Tried and True" granola. It's so much in demand that the general store can't keep the shelves stocked.
"We have a bakery, a deli and we do carry out," Schlabach said. "We have a smoker, and we do a lot of smoking. We have good ribs, pulled [meat] and brisket in the store. That's part of our primary business. That's what we do.”
As far as the new store is concerned, Schlabach said he and his family acquired a property east of Danville this past spring. Now, he's working with engineers and architects to remodel and upgrade it to a food-grade facility. Other projects include an eventual deal to distribute products in Walmart and Kroger.
The Home Place isn't limited to food items. It also sells indoor and outdoor furniture, some of it Amish-made.
Their Tried and True Granola Co. store traces its roots back to 2007, when Susan began making and selling granola from a family recipe.
“The response was overwhelming,” Delbert said. “The [general] store started to be known as the granola store. We knew we had something.”
Delbert started reaching out to other store owners to get them to stock the granola. It wasn't long before some of those stores were selling their product.
Schlabach said other granola can be like “horse feed”: grainy and lacking flavor. He claims theirs is tender and crunchy.
"We have dried cranberries, a lot of walnuts, pecans and slivered almonds," Schlabach said. "Twelve different varieties are in our arsenal. Some selections are naturally sweetened. So, it's safe for people with diabetes."
Schlabach's inspiration to keep the business growing is its maintaining customers.
"What inspires us is maintaining a good quality product," Schlabach said. "And offering something people want. That's heartwarming and gives us a lot of purposes."
