My husband, Elbert Crosby, and I own a 92-year-old Vermont business located on Rt. 7 in Danby. Originally, a farm machinery/grain operation, changes over time in our business have included adding building materials and hardware of all types, along with a 30-year association with True Value. And, even though we have grown, we love it when customers remark that they are thankful we have not turned into a “big box.” That we have kept the old town feeling and willingness to please customers.
However, the most exciting and rewarding change that I have seen has been selling the longtime fuel oil business. The impetus for the sale was partly due to our belief in alternative fuels. We are dealers for many different brands of pellet stoves, corn stoves and indoor and outdoor corn/pellet furnace boilers.
We believe in these alternative energies so strongly that of our small staff, half of us are using pellet/corn heat. We have gone even further by placing operating demo stoves in some of our local stores so that people can actually see how these stoves work and how effective they really are. Plus we have three stoves in operation in our own store which has enabled us to cut our oil consumption considerably. We plan to switch to a hot-air boiler in the next year and become totally oil free.
And, Elbert and I plan to install an outdoor corn boiler at our own home. As with the hot air furnace at the store, the outdoor corn boiler will allow us to use our existing hot-water piping.
This is our fourth year of selling alternative fuels and stoves. We carry five or six different brands of stoves. We have not had a shortage of either wood pellets or corn. Even though we sell these products, we like folks to be aware that they can save even more by buying corn in bulk from a couple of local farmers. We offer a pellet pre-buy program with delivery options.
We pride ourselves on becoming knowledgeable users of this technology and welcome sharing our expertise and excitement with anyone that comes in to our store. In fact, one of the “fun” requirements of this old-time business is that we don’t let customers leave until they have seen our corn stove in operation. We know that they will become believers — not only because the stoves are economical but also because the technology is environmentally friendly due to the “clean” burning — little creosote and smoke. So clean, that all of our stoves are mobile-home approved.
Suzanne Crosby
E.C. Crosby & Sons, Inc.
Danby
