MVPets staff grows by three in past year

When Steve Vernon traveled to Peru in 2000 in search of exotic fish, he shipped 200 of them home to add to his collection.

Some might use the term "obsession" rather than "collection" because by this time, there were 130 tanks in his house. He says they are his passion. But 130 aquariums was the limit for the Vernon household.

"That was it for my wife," says Vernon. "She knew that I always wanted my own pet store, so she told me to just do it."

Vernon opened MVPets at 7429 S. Westnedge in Portage April 1, 2001, with seven associates. Today he employs 12, three of whom joined his team in the past year to fill two existing positions and one newly created job.

Although dog and cat food and supplies are a hearty slice of business, supplies for small animals--including guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, bird and reptiles, line Vernon’s shelves, too.

MVPets specialty continues to be aquatic, however, with 4,000 gallons of water in the aquarium room and educated staffers there to help not only fish enthusiasts, but novices as well.

"We work with them and educate them," Vernon says. "We are the catalyst by providing information for people who want to get started."

With large, chain pet stores springing up and general merchandise stores selling pet supplies, competition is tough. Specialized services set MVPets apart from the crowd.

"We have a responsible pet owner’s rewards club here," Vernon says. "So if there is a manufacturer’s food recall on anything we sell, we go into our database and call every customer who purchased that pet food."

In-store sales? Customers decide which products they want to buy at discounts from MVPets.

"We take a poll on our Facebook page and the product that gets the most votes goes on sale," Vernon says. "We give customers what they want."

Writer: Kelle Barr, Second Wave
Source: Steve Vernon, owner, MVPets