About Us

 Hey there! 

I am so glad you stopped by The Filling Station Goods & Gifts.  I started this dream of opening a small business when I was just nine years old.  My dad saw a frozen yogurt machine for sale and said "You should buy that and open a yogurt shop!" Even though it never got past the vision, my dad's words planted a seed. 

Over the years I threw water on the seed that my dad had planted. I wrote multiple business plans, but ultimately couldn't find the time to invest in it as a career and kids needed to come first.

In 2020, I picked up Bob Goff's "Dream Big" book and it finally sprouted that seed of opening a small business. It took a year to define that small business, but when the last traditional gift shop closed in town, I knew that was it. I wanted to run a home goods and gift shop!

The Filling Station Goods & Gifts was born to promote local artisans, our compatriots and their American-made products, and educate on small steps we can take to be a more sustainable community. We are committed to prioritizing these core values in our shop.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope to see you in the shop one day!

Yours in community together,

 

- Kristin De Mers, Owner

 

OUR TEAM

Kristin De Mers | Owner
Ashley Cason | Asst. Buyer

Charity H. | Staff Assoc. II
Elizabeth M. | Staff Assoc II
Jenny F. | Staff. Assoc. II
Laurie W. | Staff Assoc. 
Justice K. | Staff Assoc.
Isabella B. | Staff Assoc.
Rachael R. | Staff Assoc.

  

Post Script: We get asked all the time "How did you come to name your shop 'The Filling Station Goods & Gifts'?" That's a fun answer!  I knew I wanted to name our shop something that was meaningful to me, and that paid homage to my strong, independent grandmothers. 

A few years back I read "The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion" by Fannie Flagg. It was a WONDERFUL story and had me thinking about my late grandmother, a WWII WASP, 99 and owner of her own flight school, as I turned each page. As I was thinking about locations, and names, this one stuck out. I just kept coming back to it and knew that we would also have a refill station as part of our business model, so it just felt right.