Local Business Champion: Young’s of Ridgefield.
Dan Rella and Chris Couri share the Young's story with HamletHub.
How and where did Young’s begin?
The original Young’s Feed Store opened in 1948 on Catoonah Street (where Colonial Cleaners is currently located) and supplied several types of animal feed to local farmers. The store was a mainstay of the community. In 1978, John Couri, a successful businessman and entrepreneur, purchased Young’s. John had settled in Ridgefield a few years earlier after marrying Elaine Conklin, a local girl with deep family roots in town.
How has the business evolved over the years?
After Couri took over the business, he expanded it into a Feed & Garden store, selling plants, soil and mulch in addition to animal feed and hay. In 1982, they expanded again, opening a power equipment showroom at 99 Danbury Road (where Young’s is currently located).
In 1981, Couri hired Dan Rella to be manager of both the feed store and the power equipment store. In 1984, Young’s Feed & Garden left Catoonah Street and merged with the power equipment operation at the larger location on Danbury Road. There they continued to sell feed and garden supplies alongside John Deere tractors and other equipment. In 1990, an equipment rental arm of the business was added.
Young’s expanded again and became a full-service residential landscaping contractor in 1995. Arnie Nielsen joined the team in 1998, the same year that Chris Couri graduated from Babson College. Chris took the reins of Young’s in 2001 and, with Dan Rella, expanded the business to include estate management and commercial landscaping.
In 2010, Young’s was forced to close the Feed & Garden retail store as well as the rental equipment business when John Deere pulled their licensing rights and big-box stores started taking over the garden supply market. Never ones to be discouraged, Young’s pivoted and started selling and installing fences alongside their landscaping services.
Do you support any local nonprofits or collaborate with fellow small businesses?
Young’s love to support our local nonprofits in any way that we can. In the past few years, we have had the pleasure of supporting Founders Hall, The Ridgefield Theatre Barn, The Lounsbury House, Leir Retreat Center, The Ridgefield Library, The Ridgefield Garden Club, Jesse Lee Church Pumpkin Patch, SPHERE and many of the local PTA’s, sports teams and Scout troops.
Learn more about Young’s by visiting their website https://www.gotoyoungs.com/ Follow along on social media @youngsofridgefield
Young’s is located at 99 Danbury Road in Ridgefield.
HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!