Monday, May 26, 2003
When you enter Wild Birds Unlimited, it's hard to believe you're only a few feet from U.S. Route 224.
The sound of singing birds and trickling water drowns out the noise of the traffic. Birds eat from feeders outside the store's front window, seemingly oblivious to the rush of cars around them.
Patrice and Jeff Harvey, owners of Wild Birds Unlimited, have always loved nature and spent much of their free time outdoors. After discovering a field guide to birds, the Harveys' love of nature expanded to include birdwatching -- and feeding birds from the 15 or 16 feeders in their yard.
"Certainly we birdwatch, but even just bird feeding is a hobby for us," Patrice Harvey said. "We sit on our porch and we watch the birds. A lot of people do -- that is what birdwatching is to them."
The Harveys, originally from Akron, bought the Wild Birds Unlimited store in 1997 from the previous owner, who had opened the store in 1993. They said they taught themselves what they needed to know to run the business, and are constantly learning new things from customers.
The Harveys said the only challenge they've really faced with the business is educating people about the differences between birdseeds.
Birdseed experts
"You can buy birdseed anywhere -- at grocery stores, feed mills, garden centers -- but there is a difference in birdseed. It's not all created equal," Jeff Harvey said. "We have to convince people that they have to pay a little bit more and they'll find that there's no waste and no filler seeds."
"And then it actually ends up being less expensive in the long run because the birds are eating it and not wasting it," his wife added.
The Harveys sell gift items, jewelry, wind chimes, indoor and outdoor figurines, birdbaths and greeting cards, but the main thrust of the business is birdseed and bird feeders.
"The variety of types of feeders we carry always amazes people. We like to offer a lot without being overwhelming. We have them from the very decorative to the very functional, depending on what your needs are," Patrice Harvey said.
The Harveys said they want to maintain a mom-and-pop, hometown feel but also keep their products current.
"That's one thing that customers have said they enjoy since we've bought the store," Patrice Harvey said. "We're always trying to find new products, trying to keep things fresh and new and up to date."
The Harveys say they plan to stay at the store until they retire.
"[The store] has been here for 10 years now and we expect to be here at least 10 more, and that's probably an underestimate," she said. "We're definitely planning on sticking around and keeping it new."