OWNER : WEATHERFORD WILD BIRD CENTER
our biz : PROFESSIONAL WISDOM
Talk
with the
Business Titans
DEBBIE NEWKIRK
OWNER : WEATHERFORD WILD BIRD CENTER
BY ABIGAIL GIEGER
PHOTO BY STEVE SCHILLIO
NOVEMBER 2016 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
PCT : What is your official title ? NEWKIRK : Officially , I ’ m the owner . But those that own a small business or have ever owned a small business know that means you are responsible for pretty much everything . I ’ m Purchasing Manager , HR Manager , Accounts Payable , Customer Service to Janitorial and anything in between . Although , I have been known to answer to Mom , Pebbles , Debble Pebble , and Puke Face ( one of my sister ’ s favorites ).
PCT :: What is your business ? NEWKIRK : Our primary focus is on backyard bird feeding . Backyard bird feeding and bird watching is the second largest hobby in the U . S ., only outranked by gardening . We have everything you need — bird houses , feeders , bird seed , bird baths , pole systems , hummingbird feeders , bird books , feeders to feed the squirrels and feeders to keep the squirrels out . We strive to provide the wild bird hobbyist with quality products and expert advice in an atmosphere where customers are treated like friends with warmth and respect .
PCT : What is the nature of your business ? NEWKIRK : Providing our friends and neighbors a better backyard birdfeeding experience . We are not just a place to buy a bird feeder or pick up a bag of seed . Many of our products carry limited lifetime warranties and are backed by a 100 % customer satisfaction guarantee . We want to
50 hear your bird feeding stories and see your pictures .
PCT : How did you get into this business ? NEWKIRK : Due to a downturn in the defense industry I was provided with the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere . That was the end of a long career working as a Quality Assurance Professional for corporate
America . I just couldn ’ t get excited about continuing down that path . So I started to think about what I would enjoy doing and I remembered a conversation I had with my mom many years ago when we visited a Wild Bird store in Fort Worth . We loved going in that store ; it was so peaceful with all the bird sounds and the really pretty and unique products they had to attract beautiful birds to