Michiana Sales and Service Offers Commercial Poultry & Livestock Barns
Photographer / Jubilee Edgell
Amish-owned Michiana Sales and Service started with a single chicken barn, built by Jay Graber in the mid-1990s.
“He was one of the first growers in the area for Miller Poultry,” Graber’s son Jay Dee explains.
As more and more people began requesting chicken barns from the Grabers, Jay and his wife Luetta decided to go into business for themselves. Their goal was to provide a valuable service by offering housing for hogs, poultry and cattle for local farmers, and servicing those buildings as needed. In time, the company was able to expand their service area over a multi-state region.
Jay Dee has been involved with the business since childhood, and joined on a full-time basis in 2014 to help establish the company in Middlebury.
“Most people don’t know we exist,” says Jay Dee, who serves as the company’s general manager.
Although most of the company’s products are for livestock and poultry farmers, it has become a Sears and Roebuck catalog of sorts for country folks.
“Our vision was having something for everyone,” Jay Dee says.
The company’s wide variety and dedication to quality is reflected in the store slogan: “A quilt of quality products for farm and home.”
Along with livestock and poultry housing options, and other outbuildings such as greenhouses, the company also sells livestock farming equipment, hardware, electrical tools and supplies, home goods like kitchenware, outdoor cooking equipment and toys, as well as a wide variety of lawn and garden tools.
“If we don’t have it in stock, we’ll find it for you,” Jay Dee says. “We love to help you find specialty items.”
The way Jay Dee chooses the company’s products is fairly unique. A farmer in his own right, Jay Dee understands the importance of believing in his products.
“I don’t just stock a product – I’ll buy it and use it myself,” he says. “I like to know what I’m trying to sell here.”
The employees at the store, most of whom also raise livestock, offer recommendations and try out products as well.
Although the retail side of the business has continued to grow, the services the company provides haven’t slowed at all.
“The bulk of our work is installing equipment,” Jay Dee says. “We do electrical and solar, installing those systems for the barns. And then we have four service techs daily on the road making repairs.”
As Jay Dee looks to the future, he hopes to see the business expand to include more products and even a showroom for would-be farmers.
“I’d like to be more of a destination for people who are curious how you raise chickens or swine,” he says. “Hopefully I can do that in the near future – have more of a show-and-tell showroom.”
Michiana Sales and Service is located at 12865 County Road 30 in Middlebury. Check out their full catalog online at michianaequipment.com or call them at 574-642-4768.
