GRANITE FALLS - For the last couple of months, Troy and Nancy Fiegen of Wood Lake have been hard at work gutting out a building on Granite Falls' main street and getting it ready for customers.
The Fiegens are bringing both their businesses, Troy's Electric and Therapeutic Massage on Prentice LLC, to downtown Granite Falls in the former Great Plains Natural Gas building.
They expect the building's interior to be finished by late February or early March.
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Photo by Cindy Votruba
Troy and Nancy Fiegen of Wood Lake are renovating the former Great Plains Natural Gas Company building in Granite Falls for their businesses, Troy’s Electric and Therapeutic Massage on Prentice, LLC.
Troy Fiegen has owned his business for almost six years and Nancy Fiegen's business is brand new. He has a shop in Wood Lake and a satellite office in Montevideo, but he wanted to have a central location as most of his business is in Granite Falls and Montevideo area.
The Fiegens said the city of Granite Falls encouraged him to come there.
"The EDA has been talking to him for years," Nancy Fiegen said.
"We looked at some buildings in Wood Lake and this one (in Granite Falls) suited our needs as far as both businesses, more curb appeal," Troy Fiegen said.
Nancy Fiegen had worked full-time as a structural designer, had raised their kids and also helped out Troy with his business.
"I do all his bookwork and a lot of running for him," Nancy Fiegen said.
Nancy Fiegen always had a strong interest in the massage therapy field. Going back to school for massage therapy worked out just fine, she said. She got an opportunity and signed up for school right away. She attends Ridgewater College in Willmar, going to classes Tuesday and Thursday nights and every other Saturday this semester.
Nancy Fiegen became certified this past semester and is now taking advanced classes, such as ones in spa body wraps and learning more in-depth about sports injuries.
"There's a lot of anatomy and pathology," Nancy Fiegen said. "There's a lot more to it than just massage."
The two found the former Great Plains Gas Natural Gas building on Prentice. It had been for sale for a couple of years, so they took a chance.
"At first I looked at using it the way it was," Nancy Fiegen said.
Then they decided to just gut the building and work out a floor plan.
"Make more use of the space," Troy Fiegen said. The couple is using local contractors to help them with some parts of the renovation process.
Nancy Fiegen said she plans to have two massage rooms, a place for yoga classes in the lower level of the building, a sauna, a tanning bed area and a room for seated chair massage.
Nancy Fiegen said she's also looking at having an herbalist from Willmar come in to teach classes on herbal supplements as well as senior fitness and aerobic classes.
"I'm looking more at the wellness part of it," Nancy Fiegen said.
Troy Fiegen said he's just happy to bring business to the downtown Granite Falls area.
"It worked out perfect," Troy Fiegen said.