09/11/2022
This is Ami Feller, and I wanted to let everyone know publicly that we just finished our last major job in Marshalltown, and I am going to wrap things up with our Iowa adventure. We will still honor any warranties (of course), but we are not taking on any new business. If you need to reach us you can call our Texas office at (830) 629-7663 or my cell is (830) 358-8355.
This is giving me a lot of time for reflection and if you’re interested in that at all, you can read on! So much has changed for me, professionally and personally, since the fateful events of 2018. 2018 was not a great roofing year in Texas, and we were struggling. My brother Scott and I had split our business up in 2016 and things were a little tense. I was set to get married in August of that year, when the 🌪 hit at the end of July.
At that point in my life I thought I’d likely never return to Marshalltown - all my immediate family had relocated to Texas, and aside from dreaming of a Wet One With Everything occasionally, I didn’t really give it much pause.
It was devastating and eerie to see the damage - so many trees just gone, landmarks in rubble, streets closed, power lines down. Yet Marshalltown was a gift from God for me, for us. While devastating, the work itself was a small portion of the gift, I’ll be honest, but it was so much more than that. It brought the restoration of many things in my life. I got back to my roots, and fell in love with the town I grew up in. My BFF from kindergarten (Valesta) and I rekindled our long standing yet stagnant friendship. My brother and I healed some wounds. I found a great CPA, who changed my Texas business for the better, too. I had the opportunity to feast on Zeno’s, Maid-Rite, Rube’s and Taco John’s again and again and again. I saw snow - lots of snow. ❄️ ⛄️ 😍 Sledding!!!! I established a stronger friendship with the LaVilles, who were my high school teachers. I experienced running from one end of town to another, and down the run path to Grimes Farms (how absolutely beautiful is that?). I’ve broken bread with the Marshalltown Rotary Club several times, and visited more friends than I can name. I adopted a grandpa in Harold Cline, who I needed desperately (I never really had one). And I even met some mutual friends of my good friend Bill.
There were bad things, too. Huge betrayals. Hard lessons. Accidents. Errors. Material shortages. Nonpayments. Delays. A divorce! Ultimately, 4 years later, it’s just too difficult to run a 2nd location from 4 states away. So it’s time to hang it up, kids. I took great care in trying to tie up all of our loose ends and exit with grace and class. This wasn’t merely a quick buck for me - I care about my exit strategy. I want you to know that.
And I want to thank you, Marshalltown. Thank you for having me (us), trusting me with your business, and loving me as one of your own. You did a lot of healing for this girl. Rediscovering home was a beautiful experience, and somehow these last few years you wove yourself around my soul more than in the days of my youth. Maybe that’s due to a wisdom and level of gratitude I just wasn’t capable of back then. It was kinda magical. 🦄
I’ll still come home, so I’ll be seeing you around. My 20 year class reunion is in 2023. OMG 😱 I mean 30!!!! How does that even HAPPEN????
Keep it strong, hometown. I know you will. I love you! Peace out. ❤️ 😘 ✌️
