Doug and Heather Verbeek have spent the last 35 years owning and operating the Beiseker UFA Petroleum Agency, a lifetime to most.
Doug’s grandfather, Frank Selzler, was the first UFA Petroleum Agent in Beiseker in the 1950s and Doug watched his grandparents retire from the farm to become agents of the Beiseker UFA.
Fast-forward 20 years. “Doug was working for the PetroCan in town when we were given the opportunity to become the local UFA Petroleum Agents, we crossed the adjoining parking lot to own a business and work for ourselves,” she says. “The best part was that most of Doug’s customers crossed the street with him. This was February of 1986. The first few years were tough and lean; building a business when interest rates were high and money was tight. Also, competition was tough,” says Heather. “There were three bulk plants in Beiseker; PetroCan, Esso and UFA.”
“We persevered and gained new accounts and along with the customers that followed us to UFA, our business grew. These original customers remained loyal and are still with us today. We so appreciate them.” The PetroCan and Esso bulk plants have since closed but UFA, with Doug and Heather at the helm providing the exceptional customer service they are known for, continued to be successful. They have spent the last 35 years living, commuting and working together. Heather jokes that when they get home, there’s not a lot to talk about because they already know everything that’s happened to one another throughout the day, but she adds that having their own space at the end of the day is healthy for any partnership.
The couple worked hard, long hours, and built their business up, and they brought their special brand of customer service to everything they did. “A lot of evenings and weekends saw fuel deliveries. Most customers didn’t even know their tanks were empty, and Doug was there to fill them. He knew their fuel needs better than they did, and they appreciated it. He always had a bag of dog treats in the fuel truck too. The farmer’s dogs would hear him coming and be so excited to see him! He has never been bit either!” Heather is very meticulous with her bookkeeping and the farmers appreciate the help she’s offered, with everything from year-end paperwork to government forms. She has kept records since 1986, on paper. “Old school,” she says. There is a file in the drawer for every farmer, from what filters they need to when they last purchased fuel.
Finally, after seven years, Doug and Heather were able to take their first vacation that didn’t involve a camper, and they went to Hawaii. And a few years later, they went to Mexico. “We found out what everyone was talking about – the warm tropics were wonderful, compared to -30 on top of a fuel tank,” says Heather.
The couple also made it a priority to be involved in the community. Doug was a Lions’ Club member for years, he is Treasurer of St. Mary’s Cemetery and has served as a Board Member for the Beiseker Community Development Board. Heather was a Board Member of the Beiseker Library, was involved with helping the local playschool, helped start the Learn to Skate Program, and was Treasurer for the Beiseker Arena Skate-a-Thon. They ran the hamburger booth at the Beiseker Sports Day, and served the breakfast for many years. They could be found helping at many Lions, church, and community events. Doug and Heather were there for any community group that needed help.
The couple are extremely proud of their daughter Meg, who Heather says spent her first year in a playpen beside her at the agency. “I went back to work when Meg was just six weeks old, and I just brought her along with me,” she says. “When she got older, Meg worked part-time for us after school, and to this day, she still remembers the warehouse key code.”
Today, Dr. Meg is a veterinarian serving the community close to home and living on the Nixdorff family farm with her partner, Austin Nixdorff. Heather and Doug both grew up on family farms, he in Beiseker, and she in Didsbury. “And while we lived in town, farming was always near and dear to our hearts. The next best thing to doing it ourselves, was serving those in our community who did. We are so proud that our daughter Meg continues that tradition, helping serve farmers and ranchers in the area.” In 2008, they were able to fulfill their dream of moving back to the country when they made the move to Heather’s family land just west of Carstairs, they built a house and began commuting to Beiseker. Today Meg and Austin, rent the land for their cattle.
In 35 years, Heather says they have seen some pretty big changes. “In the beginning, all invoices were written by hand, so when computers came along, it was a steep learning curve. Also, there weren’t cell phones back in the day. Once Doug went out in the truck, there was no contact. I hoped he didn’t break down or that a farmer up the road didn’t order fuel. For the first ten years or so, we had a keylock, so adding a cardlock was a huge step up. And moving to town septic and water was a big deal. We were on our own over here and the toilet wasn’t always working, which made for some interesting times to say the least!”
Heather says that’s not the only thing that has changed. “In the first few years, no one wanted to talk to me. Most times when I answered the phone, they would ask to talk to Doug. They would only do business with a man. If they walked into the agency, they thought I was there on work experience, and would ask for ‘my dad’,” says Heather. “To be fair, I was only 20 years old, and Doug was 30. We were just newlyweds! That’s sort of how it was for most of the 80s and 90s. But a lot has changed. It used to bother me, but as I got older, I cared less about that sort of thing and I would ask them, do you want to talk to the boss, or the one in charge?” she laughs. “Today, and for about the past 15 years, customers call and ask to speak to me, so I guess I’ve won them over.”
Regardless of who they talk to, Heather and Doug both agree that it’s the customers they will miss the most. “A lot of our original customers are still here, some retired, and some of their kids and even grandkids are now farming. They are a very loyal group of customers and we will miss the routine of seeing them every day. The phone calls, the coffee visits, the Christmas gifts of chocolate, we will miss all of it.”
“We had great part time staff to help us through the past 35 years! Lavonne Visser, Darryl Lyczewski, Emily Wolstenholme, Cam Schmaltz, Michelle Boyer, Tyler Metzger, Heather Berreth, Mark Howden, Donovan Hagel, Mark Fleming, Cheryl Hagel, Eldon Hagel, Walter Reding, Karen Michelson, Mike Richter, Brenda Berreth and Kelly Hagel. We still see each and every one of them often!”
In 35 years, Doug and Heather have been through two recessions, major changes in technology, and even changes in perception. Not everyone can live and work together for that long, and make it look fun while doing it, but Doug and Heather Verbeek have done just that. Heather says she is happy to pass the torch onto the new agents, Brady and Kelsey Tullikopf, and while she may not be answering every phone call, Heather says it’s not exactly good-bye. “I’ll still be working part-time at the agency and Doug is going to be making the deliveries in the spring when things get busy. We aren’t ready to cut ties completely, we love our customers too much,” she laughs. “But a slower pace will be nice and we are excited for the next chapter,” which Heather adds, “hopefully involves more travelling and family time.”
Congratulations Doug and Heather Verbeek on your retirement and thank you for 35 years of service to the Beiseker area and to UFA.
