Duane Warren and Katherine Balbar
Claresholm, AB

One of the goals of the entrepreneur is to earn your living doing the things you love. Duane Warren and Katherine Balbar started the Top Hand Western Shop in Claresholm to do just that.

“Top Hand” is a saddlery and western wear business and much more. The business provides for all of the needs of participants and fans of the various horse and rodeo events taking place at the Claresholm Agriplex and in Nanton. Duane is well known having 43 years within the industry and has superior knowledge of quality, style and fit in tack and saddles. People will come to Top Hand just to watch him work customizing saddles and harnesses. Top Hand’s customers come from all over Alberta as well as British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the USA.

Top Hand Western Shop opened in the Spring of 2010 with the help of Community Futures to serve as the source for everything equestrian having a large and unique selection of horse tack, including saddles for roping, reining, cutting, barrel racing or ranching; bridles, bits, pads, stirrups and more. You can find the best cowboy gear, shirts, jeans and outerwear along with belts, hats and boots that can be customized on site. They also carry a great selection of horse supplies such as supplements and grooming supplies.

Daniel Sommerfeld
Waterton, Alberta

Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it. – Maya Angelou

Daniel and Lori Summerfeld opened Lost Art Jewelry by Daniel Sommerfeld in Waterton Lakes National Park in 1999. Daniel is a Master Goldsmith with 30 years of experience, who designs and creates by hand one-of-a-kind jewelry for the public, exclusively using time-honored direct metal working techniques. Daniel selects all of the inventory, consults with patrons about their jewelry selections, and designs and creates all the jewelry personally using direct metal working techniques.

The art of hand working a piece of metal to be light yet resilient, or even to design and construct a piece from scratch to a client’s exact specifications, is a lost art on the brink of extinction. Daniel takes great pride in exquisitely performing this lost art, creating sublime jewelry for the discerning clients who appreciate its unmatched look and feel.

Clients may select from a variety of existing items on display made from platinum, high karat golds, silver, palladium, Canadian diamonds, Alberta ammolite and other fine and very rare gems. They may also have the exceptional experience of meeting with the person who makes the jewelry, and even watch it being made for them.

Peggy Dingreville and Bill Ullman
Lundbreck, Alberta

"The force of his own merit makes his way" – Shakespeare

What Willie is saying in the above quote is - You have to be good at what you do!

Owners, Peggy Dingreville and Bill Ullman, of Obies General Mercantile Ltd. in Lundbreck, have been good at providing great products, pricing and service to the local people since taking the reins of the business in 2008.

They provide gas, grocery and general items, prepared foods and an ice cream station, as well as being the local Post Office.'

Obies employs a staff of eight for most of the year but in the busy summer months, as the local camp grounds get busy, two seasonal employees are added. Anne Molnar serves as the manager and keeps the staff and store working smoothly year round.

Jolane Shipley
Glenwood, AB

Van Dan's has been part of the Glenwood Community for many years. In 1938, brothers Van and Dan Lybbert opened up a butcher shop and operated as Lybbert Brothers.

Several months later, in early 1939, they bought a restaurant and small grocery store and added the butcher shop to the back of it.  It was a family business with other brothers and their families helping in different ways.

There are always challenges in running a business. Van Dan’s building eventually developed problems.  The flat roof had to be repaired many times. The floor also needed repairs. By 2004, problems from a leaky roof left Van Dan’s faced with shutting down, building a new building or replacing the roof.  They really didn't want to shut down and leave Glenwood without services. The cost of building a new building was too high for the amount of business being done, so replacing the roof looked like the best option. 

Paula & Paul Watson
Cowley Alberta

No profit grows where is no pleasure taken-Shakespeare

What the Bard of Avon is really saying is that there is nothing to be gained from things we take no pleasure in. So if you are the former North of England dirt bike endurance racing champion, having raced all over Europe, B.C. and Alberta, how better to earn your living than starting your own business with your wife, selling and repairing off road and on road vehicles.

Paul and Paula Watson are the entrepreneurs behind Enduortek, in Cowley, AB, just off Highway #3. Endurotek, which opened in May of 2010, is a retail and maintenance business supplying dirt bikes as well as spare parts. They also do repairs for dirt bikes, road bikes, snowmobiles and ATVs plus a range of specialized clothing for those activities. Attached to the retail shop is the work shop equipped to service and maintain most motor vehicles. Paul and Paula developed a business plan to expand their business and Community Futures was there to help them make building modifications and grow Endurotek's inventory. 

Rosanna Higginbotham
Pincher Creek, AB

All of the wonderful goods and services that we enjoy are due to the efforts of entrepreneurs such as Rosanna Higginbotham.

Rosanna purchased the Providence Salon & Spa in the Spring of 2009 with the emotional support of her family and the help of Community Futures. Providence Salon & Spa is a full service salon that has been in business since 2007, offering advanced hairstyling and coloring, pedicures, manicures, massages, waxing, body wraps and facials as well as makeup applications and a vertical tanning booth. The majority of the salon clients are female, while the massage therapy clientele are evenly split between men and women.