CANDLER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — At Candler Feed and Seed, Tony Fisher wears a lot of hats — owner, forklift operator, delivery handler and, at times, community coordinator.
Fisher has owned the longtime Candler business for 23 years, but his connection stretches back nearly three decades. Before buying the store, he supplied the previous owner with feed, dog food and animal health products for several years.
“I’ve been actively involved with it for darn near 30 years,” Fisher said, leaning on the worn counter.
The store, known for its wide range of feed, hay and farm supplies, operates with a small team — Fisher, his wife Jean, and two employees. On busy days, he said, everyone pitches in.
“Some days it’s all hands on deck,” he said.
A typical day can include placing orders, unloading deliveries and helping customers, with Fisher stepping in to run the forklift when trucks arrive.
“We’re very diverse,” he said. “It’s just doing everything.”
Fisher said one of the biggest rewards of the job is the independence that comes with owning a small business.
“I’ve worked for other people before, but once I became self-employed, that was it for me,” he said. “No corporate politics.”
But it’s the relationships with customers that stand out most.
“We have the best, most loyal customers in the world,” Fisher said.
He recalled a recent example: a customer who was accidentally given three times the amount of seed he paid for later returned to settle the difference.
“Would that happen at a big box store? No,” Fisher said. “It’s a personal touch.”
That personal approach extends beyond sales. The store accepts package deliveries for customers year-round and regularly helps with loading and unloading large items. Around the holidays, it organizes charitable efforts, including an Angel Tree program.
More recently, the business committed to helping provide weekend food bags for about 250 students displaced by Tropical Storm Helene.
“We’re doing 50 bags a week,” Fisher said. “It’s about $400 a week, but the community’s helped us a lot.”
Fisher said the store also played a major role in relief efforts after the storm, collecting and distributing donations to hard-hit areas across the region.
“We got to see the best and the worst of humanity,” he said, noting that while many donated generously, the store was also targeted by theft.
Even so, he said he would step up again if needed.
“I hope we never have to do that again, but I would in a heartbeat,” he said.
When he’s not at the store, Fisher spends much of his time helping care for his 88-year-old mother in Ohio, who has faced ongoing health challenges after a serious fall earlier this year.
In the midst of those responsibilities, Fisher and his wife recently found time to marry after a two-year relationship that began just before Helene.
“We finally got it done,” he said with a laugh.
For Fisher, the business is more than a livelihood — it’s a hub for connection.
“We try to do everything we can to be good neighbors,” he said.