Postville Vet Clinic “rises from the ashes” to open new facility in the business park

by Wanda Simmons

"Rising from the ashes." This phrase surely tells the story of the remarkable resurgence of the Postville Vet Clinic following a devastating early-morning fire on March 22, 2004, which destroyed this long-time business in downtown Postville.

The Postville Vet Clinic has rebuilt bigger and better than ever and is the first business to locate in the newly established Postville Business Park just east of this small community on Highway 18/52.

On Thursday, March 31, 2005, the clinic will host an Open House at its new 7,500 sq. ft. facility on Hyman Drive from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

On hand to express their appreciation to clients and community members will be the four owners, Drs. Larry Moore, Ken Weston, Kevin Jacobs, and Bruce Leuschen. Associates at the clinic include Drs. Dick Riese and Barbara Fox. Dr. Justin Helgerson will join the staff in May after graduation from Iowa State University.

It isn't surprising that this determined and dedicated group of veterinarians and their staff are back in a big way. Just a year ago, after a fire was discovered in their building around 5 a.m. on March 22, 2004, the vets and most of their employees were at the scene, saving what equipment and supplies they could from the smoky inferno. Luckily no animals were in the building at the time.

But it wasn't just the vet clinic staff and fire fighters from surrounding towns who showed up in the early morning darkness. Members of the community of Postville arrived quickly to lend a helping hand, whether it was to carry what they could save from the burning building, lend the use of their pickup trucks, or just pour a hot cup of coffee on a cold March morning to keep someone warm.

"When I saw the outpouring of community support the day of the fire and beyond, it reaffirmed why we chose to be in business in Postville," said Dr. Larry Moore.

"This northeast Iowa region has been good to us. There are a lot of hardworking people in agriculture who have committed to be in business, and we want them to know we are equally happy to serve them in a professional manner."

And serve them they did. By 10 a.m. the same morning of the fire, they had set up offices in the vacant former Postville Ford building and were conducting business as usual. Phone lines were activated, the smoky schedule book had been saved from the flames, and clients, whether dairy farmers or cat owners, were being served with little or no delay.

Dedication to their customers, loyalty to their community, and a positive attitude have always guided the veterinarians and staff of the Postville Vet Clinic. Founded many years ago by Dr. R.F. Schneider, the Postville Vet Clinic originally operated in a building the size of a two-car garage behind Doc Schneider's house. Dr. Larry Moore joined Doc Schneider in 1979.

Around 1980, the clinic moved downtown to the former Falb Motor Company location at the intersection of Highways 52 and 18 where it operated until fire destroyed the building in 2004. They then occupied the former Ford garage until moving to their new facility on Hyman Drive.

During the past year they have been working with Gardner Architecture of Strawberry Point, major contractor Valley Lumber of Clermont, and many local and area subcontractors to design and build a new clinic. All staff members were encouraged to provide suggestions and ideas for the new facility, with the result being a spacious and efficient workplace for everyone from the veterinarians to the lab technicians to the office personnel.

The main entry and reception area is welcoming and bright, with an open and simple design. A curved counter area allows for plenty of room to conduct office business and counter sales. Just behind this area is the desk of billing manager Jennifer Hertrampf. To the right is the office of Julie Schnuelle, office manager.

Other office personnel include bookkeeper Mary Jo Moore and Emily Nelson who prepares the swine reports.

Office staff say they were glad to have a say in things such as the phone system and office furniture.

A comfortable waiting area is adjacent to the small animal exam room where the clinic's newest associate, Dr. Barbara Fox, takes appointments on Wednesdays between 2:30-4:45 p.m. Dr. Fox, who recently moved to Wadena after working in Waterloo, is a graduate of Iowa State University. Plans are presently being discussed for expanding the hours of the small animal services.

There is also a small animal surgery room just off the waiting area.

Down the hallway you will find a large laboratory with a center work area. Counters and cupboards line the surrounding walls. Amanda Guese and Kris Larson work here as lab technicians. "It was great to have some input in how the lab would be set up," says Amanda. "All the storage space is the best part of the lab, and everything is so convenient."

When designing the building, a kennel area was set aside and plans for boarding animals are still in progress.

The new facility also allows for a large animal service area for surgeries and vaccinations, and a tilt table for working on feet. There is even a calf intensive care unit for calves who must be put on an IV drip or given medicine. Says Dr. Kevin Jacobs, " I like having the ability to offer a place to have animals brought in."

Dr. Larry Moore is happy with the working chute, holding pens, surgery pens and foot trimming table in this area. "I like the professional, clean appearance," he says. "When you have a nice facility, it picks up everyone's level of practice."

Dr. Ken Weston also thinks the large animal service area is a plus. "The layout of the building is such that we have ample space for each individual activity, yet everything is close enough to be handy," he says.

"We hope the livestock haul-in section becomes very busy to allow us to be more efficient."

Also working in this area is Josh Howes, large animal vet technician.

Rounding out the staff are Cindy Olson, Beth Weston, and Angie Dibble, cleaning and service staff.

Lori Ameling is the office manager in Calmar, which is a subsidiary office of the Postville Vet Clinic.

Dr. Bruce Leuschen, one of the four owners, also works out of this office. During the time of the fire last year, Calmar Vet Services helped by providing much-needed supplies to allow the Postville Vet Clinic to continue serving their clients immediately.

Between the two offices, the owner-veterinarians serve a 20-30 mile radius of northeast Iowa.

Postville Vet Clinic is the first business to locate in the recently-created Postville Business Park. The owners hope this will encourage other businesses to consider the location too. Dr. Weston thinks the site is good because it is a short distance from town, yet close enough for people in town to use the facilities.

He hopes they will have "neighbors" in the Business Park before too long.

The Postville Vet Clinic owners all agree that choosing to rebuild in Postville was not a difficult decision. "This is the community where I live, where I send my children to school, and where I feel like I am a member of the community," says Dr. Jacobs. "It was not a hard choice."

Dr. Weston hopes that in many ways building the new clinic "will give back to a community that was so supportive when tragedy struck on March 22, 2004."

This is a sentiment echoed by Dr. Larry Moore. "This northeast Iowa region has been good to us. In the building project, we tried to return the favor to the contractors who were there to help on the day of the fire, and the carpenters, plumbers, and others who have had a business association with Postville Vet Clinic over the years." He noted that not everyone could be hired, but hopefully the favor can be repaid on other occasions and other building projects.

They say that from the ashes everything grows and blooms more spectacular than ever. And so it is with the new Postville Vet Clinic. From the hard work of a dedicated local business and the help of a caring community, it has truly risen from the ashes and is better than ever.