2018-2019 Foy's Pet Supplies Catalog

12 PRICES FOY'S SUBJECT STORY
CHANGE
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happy because I spent time selling pigeon products. So I said fine.
I took the business home. I still worked at the pharmacy but I operated
the pigeon business at night.
Many of the products I sold were “manufactured” or repackaged by
Foy’s. Whenever I ordered more products from Charles Foy, I would
ask him if he was ready to sell his business and would he give me a
shot at it. One day the phone rang and it was Charles. Charlie Foy
said if you want the business come on down and see if you like it,
spend a week. See what it is like.
I visited with Charlie and saw what a dynamo he was. He and his
wife, Lucille, showed me the ropes. Charlie filled me in on what the
business was all about. The business was started by Charlie’s father
Frank Foy. Frank Foy worked in a factory that made incubators and
other poultry products. Frank also raised poultry and water fowl.
He had a small pamphlet that he would toss in each outgoing order.
That was the beginning of Foy’s Pigeon Supplies.
Charlie Foy, Frank’s son, was many things. Highly respected in his
state and he was a small plane, open-cock pit pilot. Charlie disposed
of so many chickens and their eggs that he was the only
person to test for New Castle disease. It did not make him ill, but it
showed up in his blood tests. The pigeons were a continuance of
the poultry breeding. It was harder to raise chickens.
Selling Pigeons requires a person who could tell the sex of birds.
Foy’s had such a man and could almost guarantee pairs. When this
man died, Charlie gave up on the live bird sales. The end of railway
express also convinced Charlie to stop selling live birds and that is
when it became 100% pigeon supplies.
Our business in Golden Valley, Minnesota grew by leaps and bounds.
My family was very involved but both daughters had careers and
Janice was ready to retire. Then I had a heart attack, so we were
lucky to find Jerry Gagne to buy us out. It was luck for Jerry too.
~ Clair Hetland
The following are Jerry Gagne’s Comments.
August 2013
I have had pigeons and sold pigeon supplies most of my life. When
I was 21 years old, my brother Bob and I became partners in the pigeon
business. We had a friend, Ray LeBlanc , who owned a small
pigeon supply business and we asked if it was for sale. Ray was a
real gentleman and made it very easy for us to buy his business even
though we had very limited money. We actually bought it by making
payments to Ray. I just never imagined that LeBlanc’s Pigeon Farm
was the beginning of this long road to Foy’s Pigeon Supply.
My brother, who was a carpenter, handled the building of all wood
products as well as whatever needed to be done. We changed the
name to Gagne Bros. Pigeon Supply and operated in Maine for several
years. (Charles Foy visited us on one occasion.) I lost my regular
job in 1969 and made the decision to move to Pennsylvania where
I had a job offer. I bought out my brother and moved everything to
Clinton, Pa. (Quite amazing isn't it that I moved to Clinton, PA and
operated a pigeon business which eventually bought Foy's a business
that once was located in Clinton, Iowa.) I operated a business
from Clinton, Pa. I ran the Gagne Bros. Pigeon Supply until 1974, but
with a growing family, it was just not enough income and I could not
operate it part time. I sold the business and moved on with my life.
I became a home improvement contractor and in this line of work, I
would climb on to roofs to inspect them. One day I was on a roof and
happened to look down into a neighbors yard and I saw two pigeon
lofts. The next day I spoke to the owner, Joe Piltz, and I came home
with a box of pigeons. No loft, no cages or anything else, but I had
pigeons! Being who I am, the pigeons led to Jerry’s Pigeon Supply.
As the small business grew, I had an occasion to speak to Clair Hetland.
Clair was a real gentleman and helped me find some pigeon
products I was looking for. I started to buy products from Clair and
over the course of time, I asked the same question that Clair Hetland
asked Charles Foy. I told Clair that if he ever wanted to sell Foy’s
Pigeon Supply, please give me a shot at it. It wasn’t easy, but I think
it was meant to be and with Clair’s help, I ended up buying Foy’s.
Two of my sons, Kim, and I flew to Minnesota. We spent 3 days and
loaded two tractor trailers full and on a Friday left for Pennsylvania.
The Minnesota phone number was forwarded to Pennsylvania and
on Monday we were taking orders. The year was 2000.
The Gagne Family is just the third family owner over the past 135
years. The company has survived depressions, wars, recessions
and so much more. Pet fanciers are very loyal, and if you give service,
they will stick with you.
The president of Foy’s is Kim Hare, who becomes a second generation
leadership of the company. Sherry is an 11 year employee and
there is hardly a job that she has not handled. Sam is our Granddaughter
and enters her 2nd year, her job includes answering the
phone, packing orders and anything that requires muscle. Veronica
will be in here seventh year and creates all our advertisements, created
and monitors our web site, creates a market for other services
we offer such as web site design, business cards , promotional items
and all the catalog prep work. Gina, my daughter, served honorably
in the Navy for 20 years and then joined Foy's and does everything
but her responsibility is inventory control.
Vickie, my wife, is in charge of all the seamless band sales, packs,
ships, and answers the phone. Together we have built the business
and enjoyed the inclusion of family members.
I am now semi-retired from the company and have decided to try to
give back to the pigeon community. I still create the catalog and handle
our pigeons, but for the most part, at the age of 77, have stepped
back from the day-to-day operations. I served as the President of
the National Pigeon Association and spent much of my time trying
to make the NPA bigger and more service oriented. If you are not a
member of the National Pigeon Association, please contact me, I will
be glad to answer any questions and hopefully send you a membership
application. I currently serve as chairman of the National Pigeon
Association - Legacy Fund Trust.
In 2017, Foy's moved to a new location to better server our customers.
We are now located across the river from New Brighton, PA.
~ Jerry Gagne
12 QUESTIONS ONLY: (724) 843.6889 • ORDERS ONLY: 1.877.355.7727 • WWW.FOYSPIGEONSUPPLIES.COM • PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE 12