The Veterinary Center of Somerset

Dr. Tim VanDerPloeg is moving too fast these days treating patients and handling the daily operations at Veterinary Center of Somerset to sit down for aninterview. However, he took a moment as he was on hisway to help a farmer pull a calf to talk about this first yearin business.

"I can't even begin to explain how amazing this past yearhas been at the business," said Tim.

"It is hard to believe that we closed on the land just last April, and by May we opened our mixed animal practicein a mobile office while starting construction on a newclinic at the same site." In December, only seven short months after breaking ground on the new clinic, Tim and his family was joined by the community to cut the ribbon at the new home for Veterinary Center of Somerset. Since then, the clinic has grown beyond what thisentrepreneurial veterinarian could have imagined, and the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD) is proud to have been working with Tim during this amazing ride.

“We had over 1,000 clients by March. That is an average of 100 new clients each month, and we continue to grow," said Tim. "KCARD was a big player in helping us to put all the pieces together on the project to make this dream a reality."

Tim explained that a friend first told him about KCARD and recommended he get in touch with them to discuss the idea he had to develop his own practice. Tim met with Brent Lackey, a KCARD business development specialist located in Pulaski County.

"I can't say enough about how helpful Brent has been during the entire process," said Tim. "He helped us with the business plan, reviewing demographics to find the best location for the clinic, and he put us in contact with banks and other individuals to work with as we began to develop funding for the clinic."

Tim explained that with KCARD's information, he identified opportunities for financial assistance, such as the Southern Kentucky Rural Electric CooperativeCorporation's (RECC) Revolving Loan Fund. "It is never easy to make a capital investment of this level, but to have community support through the RECC that allowed me to secure the building loan at a lower interest rate really made taking that step easier," said Tim. "It didn't hurt that we were also able to bring the project in almost $25,000 under budget."

In marketing the new clinic, Tim says he wasn't sure where to start so he once again turned to Brent at KCARD to help in developing a strategic approach.

"After looking at our demographics, we decided just to do a couple of billboards in Somerset to get the name out in the public along with our website and Facebook page," said Tim. "Yet, our most successful advertising this first year has been word of mouth within the community."

"Tim has done a great job utilizing Facebook to promote the business and showcase his and his family's loving care for animals," stated Brent Lackey, KCARD Business Development Specialist.

Tim believes the success they have found in building the clinic and in building thebusiness this first year is due to the support he has found within the community. He also credits their success to the fact that they did not rush into the project.

"Brent and I met once a month for over a year planning the project before we even broke ground on the clinic," explained Tim. "We didn't rush into this; it was my dream. We planned. We designed a clinic that would meet our needs and allow usto grow, and it might have taken two and a half years, but I am proud of the result."

"You have to credit Tim for being patient enough and willing to put in all the time and work in planning the Veterinary Center," added Brent. "His excitement and passion for opening his own veterinary clinch was evident from the first time we met, and often this leads business owners to rush into opening the business or constructing the new facility without the proper planning."

It is this level of commitment and planning that helped Tim to not only launch his new practice, but also to build a state-of-the-art clinic that would allow him to provide the best possible service to his growing client base. The new facility incorporates modern equipment for diagnostics and radiology, it has four exam rooms, a laboratory, along with a surgical suite equipped with the most up-to-date surgical technology available today. Tim explained that 85% of his practice is made up of his small animal clients from Somerset and the surrounding area.

"We provide complete companion animal care to our small animal clients. This includes geriatric care, routine preventive care, detection and treatment of disease, emergency care, dietary and nutritional counseling, elective surgeries (spay/neuter), orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries, and dentistry services," explained Tim. "We also offer boarding services at the clinic throughout the year for companion animals."

While small animals might be Tim's main client base, he is dedicated to providing unparalleled service to the farmers in the area. In designing the clinic, he focused on building facilities to provide the best possible service to his large animal clients. "While we have the facilities at the clinic to provide service to our large animals, there are instances where it is best for me to see the patient(s) at the farm," said Tim. "That is why we also have a mobile unit to take to the farm or field, it gives us the flexibility to treat a wide range of animals and breeds on location."

Tim is quick to point out that while he is an ambitious individual, it is the commitment and support of his family that has made the dream of owning his own practice a reality. His wife, Connie, has been involved from the beginning attending the monthly meetings with KCARD and has worked alongside Tim every day evenat the clinic. Tim's sons, Clay and Conner, help around the clinic when they have free time and love going out with dad on farm visits. Tim's sister aspires to follow in her brother's footsteps and become a veterinarian, so she works at the clinic to get experience in the field.

"When we hired Krystal, the first person that wasn't a family member, my son Conner asked me if that meant that we were no longer a family business," laughed Tim. "I told him that we would always be a family business, and when people come to work at the Veterinary Center they become a part of our family."

Tim is hoping to continue to expand the "family", as he hopes to hire a veterinary technician and additional staff in the near future. As he continues to grow he plansto stay in contact with KCARD for assistance; he believes that the third party point of view in planning is critical to business development.

"We have built this clinic together as a family with the support of our community andgreat organizations like KCARD," said Tim. "We plan to grow it with the approach we take in all aspects of our family life, with honor, integrity, and respect for each other and our community."

To learn more about Veterinary Center of Somerset visit the website at http://vetcenterofsomerset.com.