Straight-Up Success
Straightline Enterprises Is Celebrating 10 Years of Pet Supplies and Solutions
Writer / Amy Lant-Wenger
Photographer / Kari Lipscomb
Its been said, time and again, that its a very fortunate soul who can transform a hobby into a fulfilling and rewarding career. For the ones who can successfully achieve it, as the sentiment goes, they will never have to work a day of their lives.
For Carl Schwartz, a lifetime spent appreciating the beauty and bounty of the outdoors through hunting waterfowl, and the camaraderie of canine companionship, inspired him to create the earliest iteration of Straightline Enterprises back in 2013. He is now observing its 10th anniversary. What began as a small-scale operation of creating customized dog kennels has now become an ever-evolving, continually growing inventory of pet supplies. Straightline Enterprises is the ideal place to venture for almost anything an animal owner could possibly need or want, from domesticated dogs and cats to equine necessities. Its a short distance from virtually any community in the northeastern Indiana region, an area rich in farming traditions and heritage.
Keeping Straightline Enterprises aligned with the home front has also been beneficial in bringing additional family members into the fold, to the extent that this multifaceted operation is a true family endeavor. In 2014 Schwartz entered into a partnership with in-laws Loren Miller, Joshua Miller and Myron Wenger. Schwartzs wife works alongside him by helping with grooming and other tasks in caring for the puppies. Meanwhile the four Schwartz children, three daughters and a son, are all too happy to give the puppies some exercise and playtime.
By 2016 Schwartz was ready to take his business to the next level by expanding to full time at a new, full-service pet supply store in rural Millersburg. Anything to do with puppies and dogs, thats what we carried, Schwartz says. In just a few short years the need for more space led to a newer facility, spanning an impressive 13,000 square feet. When the store was unveiled in December of 2020, there was ample room to feature an even broader range of supplies, from pet food to medicinal supplies to leashes, and just about anything else in between. In total, Straightline Enterprises has 10 workers in its employ.
Schwartz has been very busy as of late, with springtime and warmer weather on the horizon. Yet, there are seemingly enhancements and improvements in the offing at any given time, with their product lines and services changing with perhaps more frequency than the seasons themselves. One of the newest divisions of Straightline Enterprises is AlumiDoor, which specializes in screened overhead doors. Were planning to expand that and were looking for more dealers, Schwartz says.
Schwartz and the staff are also working continually to add to their outdoor department, which offers gear specifically designed for active hunters and nature hobbyists. Water-resistant clothing, fishing tackle and bait, turkey gear, elk hunting supplies, and other types of mobile equipment are incorporated into the store continually.
Another tremendous advantage to both the business and customers is the presentation of the companys website, which was activated in 2021. There, browsers and buyers can peruse the lengthy list of available brands, supplies and accessories. Sales specials are prominently featured on the home page, and shoppers can even click on various months to watch for any upcoming events and promotions.
Straightline Enterprises offers next-day, free delivery to customers who reside within a 25-mile radius of the store. For those living outside that zone, shipments are handled via UPS.
Visit Straightline Enterprises in Millersburg at 11985 West 400 South. Call 574-642-0289 for more details, and check out their website at straightlinepetsupplies.com.
