Today we’d like to introduce you to Raymond Holdwick.
Hi Raymond, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Owners Ray and Mary had a difficult time starting their family. After a while, they accepted that their children were just going to be furry with 4 legs. Their shared love of animals compelled them to open a pet store and they named it after their beloved Black Labrador, Rocko. Then, on opening day in February of 2006, they found out that Mary was pregnant. Sammie’s now in college and works at the store. We pride ourselves on a level of exceptional customer service that can only come from family owned.
Ray is a Military Police veteran and a retired Macomb County Sheriff reserve officer, so we support the Macomb County Sheriff K9 Unit and the Shelby Township Police Department K9 Unit however we can. We feed their K9s, and raise money with yearly fundraising events to cover whatever the officers need. We also support local shelters and rescues with adoption events and by donating money and supplies.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As the pet food industry evolves and changes, we’ve seen some ups and downs. We do our best to keep up with the trends in pet food as a whole, and try to balance what new brands to bring in and what brands are falling behind. The biggest struggle we have is trying to compete with the convenience of online shopping. All we can do is offer the best customer support we can and hope they see the value in supporting a small business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Rocko’s Pet Stop?
Rocko’s Pet Stop is a small pet supply store on the border of Macomb Township and Shelby Township in Macomb County. We are owned and operated by a local, retired Macomb County Sheriff reserve officer who is also a Military Police Veteran. We are more holistically minded, and try to carry healthy, high quality pet foods along with the typical pet supplies. We like to think our level of customer service and support is something that sets us apart from bigger stores.
Something else that we are extremely proud of is our partnership with the Macomb County Sheriff and Shelby Township Police Departments K9 Units. We feed their K9s, and have a K9 Fund the officers can use for anything they need. We host a yearly Police K9 Fundraiser every August that not only raises money for that, but also spotlights local vendors and brings the officers and community together.
We also proudly and regularly donate to local shelters and rescues when we can, both with money and supplies. We host a yearly “Adopt Then Shop” adoption event/vendor show every June, and we collect donations at the store for the local shelters/pantries. In December, we try to work with different brands to collect extra donations, since the holiday season can be tough.
We started a collection fund called “Lulu’s Fund” that was named after the owners puppy who tragically passed away at 8 months old. We rotate the recipient monthly, and they usually include local animal shelters or organizations that pair pets with veterans. We post the yearly donation totals on our website at the end of each year.
Lastly, we are part of a group of small business owners who believe in “Community Over Competition”. We carry and recommend each other’s products, services, and businesses to our clients/customers to foster a real sense of community within the pet industry. We also attend each other’s events and share information to help best serve everyone.
If you stop at our store, you can expect a warm welcome from people who will work with you to try and find what works best for you, your pet, and your budget.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Our friends, family, and employees (current and past) have been huge supporters of us and our philosophy. And of course, our namesake, Rocko, deserves credit too.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.rockospetstop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doggos_from_rockos/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockosPetStop/
- Other: https://secure.astroloyalty.com/?ld=xZzugnkcBMFfSC3QAA%3D%3D
