DRIPPING SPRINGS — For 29 years, Triple S Feed & General Store has grown from a mom-and-pop shop to a thriving resource for the Dripping Springs community.
After retiring from a government job, Gordon Swenson decided to start a business to provide for his family. He opened the first location in 1988 in Creedmoor and later decided to expand to have a second location in Dripping Springs, which his daughter Monica now owns.
Monica grew up with her family farming and growing crops like corn, wheat and hay. While her two brothers worked in the field, baled hay or drove the tractor, she would help in the feed store.
The original building was demolished about nine years ago and with a new space, they decided to expand their inventory and advance to a computerized system. With larger corporations coming to rural and developing communities, some local businesses might worry about being pushed out — but Monica isn’t.
“We don’t worry about the competition. We just try to be the best business that we can be,” Monica said. “A lot of people like to support local, even if they have to pay a little bit more for the products.”
She noted that keeping up with trends is important and being a locally-owned business allows them to connect with customers.
“We’ve been a part of this community for such a long time, and since we’re locally owned, we can talk to the customers one-on-one and be able to meet their needs a little bit more timely than a big box store,” Monica said. “We can do all of our ordering here at the store versus a lot of other places; they do all their ordering based on their sales, and it’s all done from a corporate office that’s not based in this area.”
Not only does Triple S strive to foster its connection with the community as a business, but it also gives back to local organizations.
Triple S donates auction items to Dripping Springs Ag Boosters and other local youth and 4-H clubs in the surrounding counties. The store bids and purchases animals from the livestock show to help kids out. Triple S also donates to the “Jackpot Shows,” which give kids the opportunity to show their animals and practice in front of an audience before the livestock show.
“We’re very proud to be a part of this community. When you’ve had a longevity of 29 years, it says something about the community’s support of us. When you own a business, it’s not a 9-5 kind of business. You put in a lot of hours and dedication to your business to make it the success you want it to be,” she said.
Triple S carries a wide selection of products like PVC fittings, soil supplements, hardware, animal feed and garden supplies. It also has a gift section stocked with products from local businesses like Hill Country Jams from Fredericksburg Farms, candles from Circle E Candles and chocolate bars from Dripping Springs Chocolate Company.
The store, located at 2111 U.S. 290, is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, the store is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. For more information, visit “> www.triplesfeedstore.com.
