041925_RV_F01

SECTION F
April 19, 2025
THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW
Game of
THE HEARTBEAT OF N’WEST IOWA GROWTH
Andrew Roghair
looks to hit
the right mark
with the ax to
finish a game
of Tik-Tac-Toe,
which is one
of the games
offered by
Axes-N-Irons.
The ax throwing
venue opened
in Sheldon in
March. Photo
by Justin Rust
throws
Ax-throwing venue opens in downtown Sheldon
Service
Trucks
planning
building
expansion
Sioux Center structure will
be start to larger project
BY ERIC SANDBULTE
ESANDBULTE@NWESTIOWA.COM
SIOUX CENTER—Spring is a season of
growth and promise, and that’s well-suited
for the plans Sioux Center manufacturer
Service Trucks International has for
2025 and beyond.
STI builds flatbed service truck bodies
as well as a line of cranes at its plant at 351
20th St. NW in Sioux Center, just west of
Bomgaars. While both areas of production
have seen increased demand, the growth
has been particularly pronounced for its
line of Tiger Cranes — so much so, that
See EXPANSION on page F6
BY JUSTIN RUST
JRUST@NWESTIOWA.COM
SHELDON—A building in downtown
Sheldon has been transformed to offer
an activity not previously offered in
N’West Iowa.
Troy and Paula Winkel of Ashton teamed
up with Mike and April Oberle of Sheldon
to open up Axes-N-Irons at 203 Ninth St. in
Sheldon. Axes-N-Irons offers ax throwing
lanes and a multisport simulator.
When Axes-N-Irons opened its doors for
the first time Friday, March 14, it ended a
long remodel process that started in July for
the building.
“I can finally say, ‘It’s real,’” April said. “We
are really opening.”
Paula said they wanted to offer new
entertainment to the area.
“We are just hoping the community
supports us,” Paula said. “We’re doing it
for them, to have a place to hang out and
have fun with their friends. It’s a different
way to socialize.”
Axes-N-Irons is open 4-9 p.m. Thursday,
3-10 p.m. Friday, 1-10 p.m. Saturday
and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. The Sunday
hours could fluctuate during the summer
See AXES on page F10
Service Trucks International has seen
a sharp increase in demand for its
Tiger Crane products. Without enough
room in its current Sioux Center to
increase production, STI has planned
an expansion project that is getting
underway. Photo by Eric Sandbulte

F2 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025
BUSINESS
RJ’s Indoor Golf & Bar opens in Sioux Center
Simulator bays among
its numerous options
AT A GLANCE:
Business: RJ’s Indoor Golf & Bar
Owners: Corlin Feikema and
Sharon Ammons-Feikema
Address: 2833 St. Andrews Way,
Sioux Center
Hours: 3-10 p.m. Monday-
Wednesday, 3-11 p.m. Thursday-
Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday
Phone: 712-722-4653
E-mail: rjsindoorgolf@icloud.com
Online: www.rjsindoorgolfandbar.
com
BY ERIC SANDBULTE
ESANDBULTE@NWESTIOWA.COM
SIOUX CENTER—Golf in Sioux
Center has become a year-round
sport thanks to the folks at RJ’s Indoor
Golf & Bar, which opened in late
February.
Construction of the two-story
building with 16,000 square feet of
space inside has been going at 1833
St. Andrews Way for about a year.
Since its beginning, the husband-and-wife
business owners
Corlin Feikema and Sharon Ammons-Feikema
have been encouraged
by the continued public interest
and anticipation for its completion.
Their vision for RJ’s has been to
build a family business in the sense
that it has involved many of their
family members and that it will attract
families with its many golf options
and its restaurant.
“That’s the thing about golf,” Corlin
said. “It’s for about any age level
and experience level. You can have
people who have never golfed before
who can come here, and you can
have those serious golfers who are
trying to dial in on putting or driving
or whatever. We can accommodate
that full range of people.”
Even the business name has its
roots in their family. This is Corlin
and Sharon’s second marriage; their
first spouses having died from cancer.
RJ’s is a combination of those
spouses’ names: Rachael and John.
There are four main sections of the
building’s layout.
The restaurant, located beside the
main entrance, can seat 70 people.
The menu features different macaroni-based
dishes such as pulled
pork macaroni and Cajun mac and
cheese, burgers, sandwiches and salads.
Appetizers and sides include
cheese curds, fried pickles, chicken
wings, pretzel sticks and fries. Waffle-based
desserts also are a highlight.
There also is a self-serve bar, with
a wall lined up with drink options
including beers, seltzers, wines and
mixed drinks. The selection will be
changed regularly.
Located at 2833 St. Andrews Way, RJ’s Indoor Golf & Bar offers Sioux Center residents and community
visitors a new option for a sport that otherwise is dependent on good weather. Photos by Eric Sandbulte
RJ’s Indoor Golf & Bar offers customers a variety of golf experiences, including a nine-hole novelty course.
Customers just need to present
identification at the front desk to receive
a special chipped wristband to
hold up to their drink selection. The
self-serve bar system will keep track
of which drinks are selected and how
much was poured, charging by the
ounce. This allows for customers to
try out a variety of drinks without
committing to a full pint.
On the south side is a nine-hole
putting green course, built up to the
standards of an outdoor golf course.
In the back on the west side of the
building are four simulator bays,
which allow for different modes of
golf to be played using a projector
and a motion tracker that can calculate
the speed and trajectory of a ball.
Corlin said there is a surprising variety
of games included in the simulator,
each incorporating the golf club
and golf ball in unique ways.
“Pirate Wars is like playing Battleship,
except you just have to chip the
ball into the right square. One of the
popular ones with the kids has been
Zombie Dodgeball as well as Carnival
Games. A lot of families have been
coming in and playing with those as
well,” Corlin said.
The simulator bays will be popular
with experienced golfers, too, and
they will likely see a league program
form. A reservation system is being
put in place so that the simulators
can be rented out for a set amount
of time.
There are bar tables and chairs
at the back of the simulator bays so
when a larger party is gathering, participants
have a place to wait or socialize.
Guests will be able to scan a
QR code at the table so they can place
orders with the kitchen.
There is a novelty golf course on the
north side of the facility. Corlin compared
it to a miniature golf course
but a bit more interactive. Each of the
nine holes will have its own unique
theme.
The upstairs features an event venue
that may be rented out for all kinds
of events, including family gatherings,
birthday parties, corporate
events and trivia nights. It can seat as
many as 150 people.
Sharon said the event center area
was a late addition to the building
plans.
“The whole place had 22-foot ceilings,
and we didn’t need all that
space. So, we asked the contractor if
he could make a second floor for part
of it that we could just use for storage.
It just grew to be an event center.
There’s so much potential up here,”
she said.
The idea for RJ’s came from Sharon’s
daughter, Elaina Ammons-Cannegieter,
when they were getting
drinks at Scooter’s Coffee. When
Elaina saw the neighboring empty
lot, she remarked that they should
build a miniature golf course there.
“When I said that, it was mostly not
serious, but here we are,” Elaina said.
“The idea for me was that it would be
something that was fun for the community
but something we could pull
off. My idea was mini-golf, but then
mom was like, let’s add a restaurant,
let’s add a bar, let’s add a simulator,
let’s add an event center. I can’t take
credit for all of that.”
Since she works at the Holiday Inn
Express in Sioux Center, she knows
firsthand how visitors want more options
for things to do during their
stays in town. The number of places
to go and things to do also decreases
during the winter months, which led
to the idea of creating an indoor activity
space.
Sharon works at Interstates in Sioux
Center as an accounting manager
while Corlin works as a financial controller
at Agropur in Hull, and despite
the hard work it has taken to launch
RJ’s, it has been a rewarding experience.
“I’ve been an accountant for 20-
something years, and it’s been fun to
have a new challenge. I don’t know
if I’ll ever do it again,” Sharon said.
“It’s a lot to work all day and do this at
night, but I’m very proud of it. When
we stand in here and think about
how we own it, it’s a surreal feeling.
I’m proud to think we did this.”
She is pleased with the reaction
from some of the customers they
have had, including a child who commented
how he wants to visit every
day.
“That’s why we did this place, so
people can come and spend time
with their families,” Sharon said.
“We’ve had groups of four or five
adults sitting at the bays eating and
having fun and laughing, and that’s
what RJ’s is about.”

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA F3
HARTLEY
Contact the City for more information
E-mail: hartley@tcaexpress.net
712-928-2240 | www.hartleyiowa.com
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F4 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA F5
BUSINESS
Iowa Information Media Company president Jeff Wagner listens as
Sheldon Family Dental Clinic owner and dentist Erin Anderson talks
about her profession during the “20 Under 40” Breakfast Banquet at
Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon on Thursday, April 10.
Northwest Iowa Community College president John Hartog listens as Adam Van Der Stoep, the pastor at
First Reformed Church in Hull, talks about what got him into his profession during the 19th annual “20 Under
40” Breakfast Banquet held on the college campus on Thursday, April 10 in Sheldon. Photos by Justin Rust
‘20 Under 40’ Breakfast Banquet
Shannon Van Maanen, who is a
licensed master social worker/
mental health counselor at Creative
Living Center in Rock Valley,
explains why she got into the
profession during the “20 Under
40” Breakfast Banquet at Northwest
Iowa Community College.
SHELDON—The N’West Iowa RE-
VIEW hosted its 19th annual “20 Under
40” Breakfast Banquet on Thursday,
April 10, at Northwest Iowa
Community College in Sheldon.
The event — sponsored by NCC,
Iowa State Bank and Iowa Information
Media Group under 20 people
— all under the age of 40 — selected
as among the most notable young
business professionals in the region
as nominated by REVIEW readers.
This year’s 20 honorees were:
■ Erin Anderson of Sheldon, dentist
and owner of Sheldon Family
Dental Clinic.
■ Dr. Tyler Armstrong of Sioux
Center, owner and doctor of chiropractic
at Sioux Center Chiropractic.
■ Matt Dolphin of Hartley, power
and automation engineer at Wells
Enterprises in Le Mars.
■ Samuel Fopma of Sioux Center,
director of design services at Interstates
in Sioux Center.
■ Cory Gotto of Sioux Center, senior
banking officer at Peoples Bank
in Sioux Center.
■ Dillon Griebel of Sanborn, assistant
vice president — branch manager
at Iowa State Bank in Melvin.
■ Amanda “Mandy” Groen of Sibley,
radiologic and ultrasound technologist
at Osceola Regional Health
Center in Sibley.
■ Ashley Hoogland of Hospers, associate
veterinarian at Orange City
Family Animal Care.
■ Cassie Iseminger of Akron, production
manager at Sekisui Aerospace
in Orange City.
■ Megan Klapperich of Orange
City, physician assistant at Avera
Merrill Pioneer Hospital in Rock
Rapids.
■ Shannon Klein of Primghar,
owner and florist at Blossom & Bride
Boutique in Sheldon.
■ Troy Klein of Sheldon, electrical
instructor at Northwest Iowa Community
College and owner of TK
Lawn Service in Sheldon.
■ Rosa Koerselman of Ashton, administrative
assistant at Faith Community
Church in Sheldon.
■ Kristen Plueger of Rock Valley,
owner and instructor of Pulse 712
Fitness & Training in Rock Valley.
■ Brennen Triplett of Primghar,
owner of O’Brien County Ag Supply
in Primghar.
■ Adam Van Der Stoep of Hull, senior
pastor at First Reformed Church
in Hull.
■ Avery Van Holland of Sheldon,
associate attorney at Heidman Law
Alissa Van Zweden, who is the owner of Alissa’s Flower Farm north of
Hull, talks about her passion for flower and the events she hosts at
her farm during the 19th annual “20 Under 40” Breakfast Banquett at
Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon on Thursday, April 10.
Firm in Sheldon.
■ Shannon Van Maanen of Doon,
licensed master social worker/mental
health counselor at Creative Living
Center in Rock Valley.
■ Alissa Van Zweden of Hull, owner
of Alissa’s Flower Farm.
■ Terran Weaver of Larrabee,
youth and women’s minister at
Sutherland Church of Christ.

F6 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025
BUSINESS
DTI employees hold
‘Innovation Showdown’
Competition-winning team
creates UTV transport cot
BY JEFF GRANT
JGRANT@NWESTIOWA.COM
GEORGE—Diversified Technologies Inc.
northwest of George recently held an “Innovation
Showdown” competition in which everyone
at DTI was divided into 15 teams.
Each team had to develop some sort of innovation
made mostly of scrap metal.
The purpose of the competition was to promote
team building and employee engagement
while giving workers a chance to flex their creativity
while upcycling scraps into something
new and useful — either for DTI internally or for
external use.
The winning team made a utility task vehicle
transport cot bed that was donated to the
George Emergency Medical Services.
Other projects included a batting cage, several
smokers, a couple benches, a mini cultivator
and a lawn mower trailer.
STI three-phase project moves crane production
EXPANSION
Continued from page F1
STI president Walt Van Laren said
a three-phase building expansion
project will begin soon.
“Since 2021, our Tiger Cranes business
has grown 121 percent,” he said.
“We’ve really just maxed out with our
current building layout what we can
build for Tiger Cranes. We’ve had to
turn down business simply because
we could not agree to supply those
that have come to us and asked to
buy our product. We couldn’t do that
without harming our existing customers.”
Customers use Tiger Cranes in a
variety of applications, attaching
them to different equipment from
trucks to agricultural equipment to
barges to handle all kinds of lifting
needs. These customers are from all
over the United States and even from
Mexico and Canada.
Also of note, Tiger Cranes will celebrate
its 35th anniversary of production
in May.
The existing STI plant is 240 feet
wide by 400 feet long, a total of
96,000 square feet.
The UTV transport cot unit is designed to carry
a full-size standard ambulance stretcher. The
stretcher rides inside the transport and attaches
much the same way as the average stretcher is
attached inside the ambulance.
Group members said the idea came to them
as a way to help GEMS be able to transport victims
from tight areas that an ambulance is unable
to reach.
With the city of George having 3.2 miles of
walking trail and 2 miles of that the ambulance
is unable to get to, the GEMS UTV — a John
Deere Gator HPX 4x4 — is the vehicle that is
used to reach those areas.
The GEMS also have the UTV at the middle
school football games and Rapid Speedway in
Rock Rapid as well as have it running the entire
day of the George Freedom Days each July.
The UTV transport cot unit will make it easier
for GEMS members to use a stretcher and it be
moved from the UTV to the ambulance, where
before they were only able to use a backboard
on the back of the UTV and then transport backboard
to the stretcher.
As discussions began, it soon became
apparent that a simple addition
would not suffice if they wanted
to maintain an optimal workflow
and layout. What they decided on
was a multiphase construction project
that would construct a second,
separate facility a bit to the south of
the main plant that then would be
connected later.
The project represents a capital investment
of $9 million.
This new, secondary building will
be approximately 56,000 square feet
and will be the site for STI’s Tiger
Crane production line, a move that
will free additional space in the existing
building.
“The building is considerably larger
than it needs to be for our nearterm
production needs, but it will allow
us to grow at least double of what
our current capacity is. It has a lot of
potential,” Van Laren said.
Lined up for the work is Oleson &
Hobby Architects, a Mankato, MN,
based company with offices in Sioux
Center, and Bouma & Co. from Orange
City as the general contractor.
Some initial dirt work already has
begun at the site, with excavating anticipated
to start at the end of April or
early May.
It is expected that the new plant
will begin to be used for its intended
purpose in early 2026 with the addition
of five to seven new employees.
The new Tiger Crane building also
will mark the start of geothermal climate
control systems at STI, including
at the existing plant. One of the
benefits of going with geothermal
is that it allows for greater flexibility
than traditional HVAC units.
While the first phase focuses on the
construction of the new Tiger Crane
building, the second phase will seek
to connect it to the main building
into a larger, single facility. This newly
created indoor space between the
two plants would then allow STI to
expand its service body assembly
process.
The third phase will add a new
wing onto the facility’s east side,
which will serve two main purposes,
according to Van Laren.
“It will allow us to make our flow
better from the paint area into the assembly
area. It also allows us to build
what is going to become the office
part of the business,” he said.
Members of the winning team for the inaugural “Innovation Showdown” held by Diversified
Technologies Inc. were (front, from left) Mel Johnson, Kris Edwards, Susan Kaster, Jonathan
Horn; (back) Arielle Goetzke, Bill Ackerman, Carson Stave, Crystal Daniels, Kenny Schilling and
Emmanuel Herrera. Gene Modder and Leander Luitjens also were on the team. Photo submitted
STI currently has its administrative
offices away from its main plant.
Those are located at 877 First Ave.
NW, just west of the 815 Complex.
Parts of that building are 50 years old
and need updates regardless if the
offices stay or go. It also makes more
sense to have the offices under the
same roof as the production plant.
“All of the administrative and engineering,
all of that would move to
there,” Van Laren said. “That will allow
us to basically gut this old office
space, do the structural and building
renovations that need to happen and
update it. Then we would use this
space for productive purposes, whatever
that is at that time.”
An overarching goal Van Laren has
for this project is to make the facility
work better for STI’s approximately
115 employees.
“One of the things that is a strain
with our current building is we don’t
have enough people space,” he said.
“Lockers are a premium, a lot of
them are out in the shop. That sort
of thing. We are going to have a locker
room big enough for a hundred
lockers. We are going to have a lot of
touch-free entry points. We want the
The DTI team designed the transport cot specifically
for the UTV that GEMS has.
All members of the DTI winning group had
a part in the UTV transport cot being made,
whether it was designing it, cutting the scrap
pieces down to size, bending the pieces, welding
the parts, bolting pieces or even being a test
dummy on the stretcher.
“Everyone in the group had something valuable
to share, and it really showed throughout
the project,” sand team captain Kris Edwards. “It
was a fun and meaningful way to work with people
from different departments and do something
good for the community
“As a member of GEMS and a longtime Sudenga
employee, I am very appreciative of DTI’s
commitment to supporting the community,”
said Gene Modder, another team member.
lunchroom to be very inviting.”
That lunchroom will gain a partially
covered outdoor patio space
with a privacy screen around it, giving
employees a new way to enjoy
their meals. Meanwhile, designs for
the inside of the lunchroom call for
warm colors and textures to create a
more welcoming and relaxing space
for employees.
“That’s what we’re after: How do
we make the employee experience
of work at Service Trucks International
the best it can be? By investing
in their infrastructure to make
it warm, friendly and inviting,” Van
Laren said.
In addition to representing a significant
investment in its employees,
such a project is also a significant investment
into the company’s future
in Sioux Center.
“I’ve lived here now for 35 years,”
Van Laren said. “I went to Dordt, and
this is really the only place I’ve ever
worked. I started here during Dordt,
and I can’t image this being anywhere
else. The city has been very
helpful. The chamber has been helpful.
They’ve helped us out with some
grants and support along the way.”

Saturday, April 19, 2025 The N’West Iowa Review/Sheldon, IA F7
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F8 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025
BUSINESS
College students tee up golf simulator business
Sheldon grads take swing at
sports business opportunity
BY JUSTIN RUST
JRUST@NWESTIOWA.COM
SHELDON—Dalton Thomas and Raymond
Lee may still be in college, but the two young
entrepreneurs have already started their own
business.
They wanted to provide a form of entertainment
for all ages in Sheldon and the area,
which led Thomas and Lee to start Fore Season
Swing in Sheldon. The venue offers two indoor
golf simulators and one of the simulators can
be used for multisports.
Fore Season Swing opened on March 20 at
141 34th Ave. Suite A at Sheldon Crossing on
the east side of the community near the Highway
60 expressway/Highway 18 interchange.
“We thought this would be fun for kids or any
age of people to do,” Thomas said.
Fore Season Swings is open seven days a
week — 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and
10 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday.
Thomas and Lee are 2022 Sheldon High
School graduates. Thomas is taking business
classes at Northwest Iowa Community College
in Sheldon and Lee is in Ames at Iowa State
University where he is studying to become a
dentist.
Thomas admitted it is a risk to open a business
while they are 21 years old and still in college,
but it is a risk he was willing to take.
“We saw this opportunity. It’s not very often
you get an opportunity like this, to have a space
like this,” Thomas said. “I’m young. I want to
take risks and jump into stuff. I thought there
was no better time than now. It’s a pretty significant
risk, but it’s not like I have kids right now
or a family. I’m still living with my parents, so
it’s definitely less than it would be in the future,
so I thought it would be better now.”
It did not take long for the two friends to
come up with an indoor golf and multisport
Fore Season Swings co-owner Dalton Thomas takes a swing at one of the golf simulators
at east Sheldon’s newest business at 141 34th Ave. Suite A, which opened on March 20.
simulator idea. Both enjoy golf, and Lee was on
the Sheldon High School golf team.
They then went around and tested some golf
simulators and thought it was a fun idea.
There are two bays at Fore Season Swing and
both offer golf simulators.
There are more than 200 courses uploaded
on the golf simulators with most of the “big
name” courses. Patrons can bring their own
clubs, or they can use the ones at Fore Season
Swings.
“For the people that really like golfing, it’s a
great place to come in and get some swings in,”
Thomas said.
One of the two bays offers the multisport platform
which includes a dozen sports like baseball,
soccer, hockey, dodgeball, Frisbee golf and
cornhole. All the equipment needed for the
multisport is in the building.
“That multisport one, that helps, and it’s
AT A GLANCE:
Business: Fore Season Swings
Owners: Dalton Thomas and Raymond Lee
Address: 141 34th Ave. Suite A, Sheldon
Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday,
10 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday
Phone: 712-631-4175
Online: foreseasonswings.com
good for the kids if they don’t like golf as much,
then they can do that,” Thomas said.
Booking can be done at foreseasonswings.
com or by calling 712-631-4175. The website
has a “Book Now” button that leads to the days
and hours to sign up for the golf or multisport
simulators. The cost is $40 an hour to use the
bays, but it goes up to $50 at 5 p.m. until closing
time Friday-Sundays.
Walk-ins are available, but priority is given to
those who book ahead of time.
“It’s preferred that you do it online because
then you get a time slot,” Thomas said. “But you
can also call, and we can book it for you, then
you can pay when you get here.”
One person can come and get their swings
in at Fore Season Swings, and there can be a
group of people up to six. There are couches
and lounge chairs behind each bay along with
TVs that will have sporting events on.
Fore Season Swings offers a players pass
membership for $49 a month which gives the
member 50 percent off all bay times. Memberships
may be purchased online.
Fore Season Swings is also available for
events, which may be booked online or by calling.
“People can rent the whole space out for
birthday parties or whatever,” Thomas said.
“They can go to the website and send us a message,
or they can call in.”
Fore Season Swings opened its doors at 131 34th Ave. Suite A in Sheldon on March 20.
The business offers two golf simulators and a multisport simulator. Photos by Justin Rust
Twenty-one-year-old Dalton Thomas runs Fore Season Swings at 141 34th Ave. Suite A
with his friend Raymond Lee, who is also 21 years old. The venue opened on March 20.

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA F9
BUSINESS
Diamond Vogel forms Consumer Coating Solutions
Business streamlines brands
by unifying its sales efforts
ORANGE CITY—Diamond Vogel based in
Orange City has announced the formation of
Consumer Coating Solutions, a business unit
focused to support its retail brands of Old Masters
and Van Sickle.
The two brands are leaders in providing innovative
and market-responsive solutions to
the independent paint and hardware channel.
“The creation of Consumer Coating Solutions
streamlines our consumer brands portfolio
by unifying our sales efforts and support
under one cohesive organization,” said Jeff
Powell, Diamond Vogel president and CEO.
“Our aim is to deliver consumer-focused solutions
that elevate the retail experience for our
dealers and distributors. This new business
unit underscores our commitment to driving
consumer satisfaction and retail excellence.”
Consumer Coating Solutions will be led by
Robert Reints, who assumes the role of director.
With extensive industry expertise and
long-standing relationships developed during
his tenure leading the Old Masters brand, Reints
is exceptionally positioned to guide this integrated
sales effort, according to Powell.
Old Masters is a leading manufacturer of
high-quality wood stains and finishes since
1953, serving more than 4,000 dealers in the
United States and Canada. Old Masters is recognized
for its comprehensive retail programs
for independent paint, hardware, and specialty
woodworking retailers. It supports wood finishing
products for the woodworking enthusiast
and professional.
Old Masters remains committed to enduring
craftsmanship, superior quality, and meticulous
attention to detail.
Established in 1907, Van Sickle consistently
set the benchmark in manufacturing quality
coatings and seed treatments tailored to
farm, ranch, and agricultural communities. Its
FOR MORE INFO:
To learn more about Diamond Vogel,
visit diamondvogel.com.
extensive product range includes tractor and
equipment enamels, exterior barn and outbuilding
paints, and specialized maintenance
coatings.
Van Sickle EZ-Slide Graphite maintains a
strong reputation as an industry leader in powder
and liquid graphite solutions.
Diamond Vogel is a manufacturer of highquality
paint and coatings. Founded in 1926,
Diamond Vogel provides coating solutions to
the architectural, industrial, farm and home,
wood finishes, toll manufacturing, aerosol,
and traffic markets.
“The creation of Consumer Coating Solutions streamlines our consumer brands portfolio by unifying our sales efforts and support under
one cohesive organization. Our aim is to deliver consumer-focused solutions that elevate the retail experience for our dealers and distributors.
This new business unit underscores our commitment to driving consumer satisfaction and retail excellence.
Jeff Powell, DIAMOND VOGEL PRESIDENT AND CEO

F10 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025
BUSINESS
Axes-N-Irons offers four lanes, many games
AXES
Continued from page F1
Kelsey and Andrew Roghair and Aaron Oltmans and Ashley Balt play a game of tic-tac-toe at Axes-N-Irons in downtown Sheldon by throwing
an ax at the projected spaces on the wood board. The ax-throwing venue with four lanes opened in March. Photos by Justin Rust
AT A GLANCE:
Business: Axes-N-Irons
Owners: Troy and Paula Winkel, Mike and
April Oberle
Address: 203 Ninth St., Sheldon
Hours: 4-9 p.m. Thursdays, 3-10 p.m.
Fridays, 1-10 p.m. Saturdays, noon-6 p.m.
Sundays.
Phone: 712-631-4066
Online: axes-n-irons.com to place
reservations
months, and updates may be found on its Facebook
page.
Axes-N-Irons is for ages 12 and above.
Troy said the establishment offers an activity
that was missing in N’West Iowa since he knew
people were going to Sioux City or Sioux Falls,
SD, to ax-throwing venues.
“So, why aren’t we trying to figure out how to
do this in town?” he said. “To be able to bring
something into this town is what’s needed.”
Four lanes are offered for ax throwing with up
to six people able to throw in each lane. There
also is a multisport simulator in its own bay.
Each of the four lanes has an ax, and there is a
line to throw behind. At the end of the lane is a
wood circle. The goal is to get the ax to stick on
the wood circle.
There is a projector behind each lane and a
remote that offers a variety of games from a simple
point system similar to darts to tic-tac-toe to
one where participants throw axes at zombies.
“There are different games that go with it, so it
can change,” Mike said. “During Christmas, you
can throw at a Christmas tree or boxes of presents
instead of a traditional bull’s-eye.”
Troy said there are enough games to keep a
group entertained for four or five hours.
Cost is $20 per person for one hour. A group
may book multiple hours.
While walk-ins are welcome, reservations are
preferred. The lanes and simulator may be reserved
online at axes-n-irons.com.
“If they do everything online, you will have
your waiver form all filled online right away,”
Troy said. “So, when you get here, you are all
ready to go and can go to the lane.”
There also are options for Axes-N-Irons to
host group and private events like corporate
events, birthday parties or bachelor and bachelorette
parties. Those events also may be
booked on the website.
While Troy wanted to provide ax throwing, he
also wanted to offer another form of entertainment,
which led to the sports simulator. Golf
is the go-to for the simulator, but it also offers
sports such as soccer, baseball, dodgeball and
football. There is a light gun that can simulate
shooting sports as well.
“That side of stuff is a booming business as
well,” he said. “Obviously, if you do just axes, it
doesn’t leave anything open for anything else at
that point.”
The simulator station allows up to six participants,
and a one-hour session is $45.
Axes-N-Irons does offer a selection frozen
Caeser Pizza including pepperoni, meat lovers,
supreme, chicken Alfredo and chicken bacon
ranch. There is also popcorn to snack on.
Drinks are offered at Axes-N-Irons and consists
of a mix of beer and canned mixed drinks.
“We are going to start out with a few varieties,
and we’re just going to keep adding with whatever
the customers are asking for,” April said.
“We want to switch it up all of the time. We want
craft beers. We want different vodkas mixed up
and try different things.”
A person throwing axes is allowed two drinks
per hour. The bar will offer beer and canned
mixed drinks.
Sami Noteboom follows through on an ax throw as she watches where it will hit on the
board during a game at Axes-N-Irons in Sheldon. Each lane has a variety of games to play.

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA F11
BUSINESS
State tourism award honors
ASB Sports Complex impact
Award by Iowa Tourism
recognizes facility’s pull
SIOUX CENTER—The American
State Bank Sports Complex has become
a magnet for Sioux Center —
and the rest of the state is taking notice.
The American State Bank Sports
Complex, a joint venture between
the city of Sioux Center and Dordt
University, was honored with a 2025
Iowa Tourism Award for Outstanding
Niche Marketing Campaign during
the 2025 Iowa Tourism Conference in
March in Altoona.
Iowa Tourism Awards recognize excellence
in communities, attractions,
businesses, and individuals in raising
the state’s profile as a tourism destination.
The Niche Marketing award recognizes
an outstanding campaign
that effectively targets a specific audience
— sports tourism in the case
of the American State Bank Sports
Complex.
“This is a testament to a successful
partnership between Dordt University
and the city of Sioux Center.
It also recognizes the positive impact
the American State Bank Sports
Complex is having on Sioux Center
and across the Midwest,” said American
State Bank Sports Complex director
Trent Roose, who noted this is the
first award the facility has won.
The American State Bank Sports
Complex is a 470-by-250-foot air-inflated
indoor turf facility.
Designed to host athletic competitions
and practice, wellness activities
American State Bank Sports Complex
director Trent Roose holds
the 2025 Iowa Tourism Award
given for Outstanding Niche Marketing
Campaign from the Iowa
Tourism Office. Photo submitted
and other events, the venue draws
approximately 250,000 visits annually.
State Tourism manager Amy Zeigler
said the awards showcase innovative
efforts of those finding new
ways to promote Iowa as a must-visit
destination.
“These awards celebrate the creativity,
dedication and passion that
continue to drive our visitor economy
forward. Their efforts also contribute
significantly to our local communities
and businesses,” Zeigler said.
Since the American State Bank
Sports Complex’s opening in January
2023, staff members have been promoting
the $8 million indoor turf facility
as a Midwest attraction.
The Niche Marketing award honors
staff efforts to market and host
a 7v7 football tournament and a
multi-weekend collegiate softball
tournament in the early months of
each year, transforming what normally
was a slow time of year for travel
to N’West Iowa into a winter hot
spot for sports tourism.
“Our reach is starting to expand because
now this is our third year of doing
a lot of these events,” Roose said.
“It’s getting our name out there, and
we’re starting to be a destination location
for a lot of these events. That
will continue to grow as well.”
Last year, the American State Bank
Softball Classic brought in eight
teams from across the Midwest to
Sioux Center for four weekends in
January and February, seeing more
than 10,000 visits to the facility total.
The 7x7 football tournament, Sioux
Center Spectacular, created about
3,000 visits to the facility, drawing in
teams from five states. These events
drive a positive economic impact
as coaches, players, fans, and families
visit, stay, eat and shop in Sioux
Center.
Area high school sophomores visit a booth for Arrow Striping Equipment
and EZ Liner in Orange City during for the 2025 Sioux County
“Your Future @ Work” event on March 10 at Northwestern College in
Orange City. Fifty-one businesses were represented. Photo submitted
High school sophs learn
about area work options
NWC hosts annual
‘Your Future @ Work’
ORANGE CITY—Northwestern
College saw 611 high school
sophomores and 51 Sioux County
businesses, flood in Orange City
campus for the 2025 Sioux County
“Your Future @ Work” event on
March 10.
“Your Future @ Work” is a program
that aims to show high school
students the many career opportunities
available right in their own
backyard. Event hosts hope to inspire
youth participants to return
to their home area after graduation.
All sophomores who attend
school in Sioux County were invited
to the event to receive handson
career exploration and postsecondary
information, and local
businesses were given the opportunity
to connect with students,
schools, and other businesses.
“What I liked most about ‘Your
Future @ Work’ was the opportunity
to see all different businesses and
people. It guided me towards making
a decision for the future,” said
one participant.
Most student feedback echoed
that remark, and businesses appreciated
the opportunity to connect
with students.

F12 THE N’WEST IOWA REVIEW/SHELDON, IA SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2025
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