MILFORD, Iowa -- The Iowa Lakes region is usually thought of as a great summertime destination, but Tim Sather, a native of the area, knew fun could had all year round.
In 2015, Sather purchased Oak Hill Marina, a longtime Arnolds Park marine dealership, from its original owners Phil and Teresa Miklo.
A few years later, the business was outgrowing its space, and he began looking for a place to store boats and other large pieces of inventory apart from the main store.
Eventually, Sather and his wife Jennifer secured a 60,000-square-foot facility at 2188 Highway 86 in nearby Milford, Iowa.
"Not only was the building perfect for our needs, it was also on the busiest intersection in Dickinson County," Tim Sather explained. "We quickly discovered that this was going to be more than a place to store boats."
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The newly christened Oak Park Outdoor became a one-stop shop for outdoor living.
After extensive remodeling, the store now features a full line of boats, pontoons and power sports vehicles for life on the water.
But for folks who prefer to spend their time on land, Oak Park Outdoor has plenty of hunting equipment and apparel.
Still, that left plenty of space which needed to be filled in such a cavernous space.
That was where Jennifer Sather came into the picture.
"With the amount if foot traffic we were anticipating, we added home furnishings for both indoors and outdoor living, clothing, gift items, you name it," she said. "We saw an opportunity and took advantage of it."
Then, COVID-19 hit. With the pandemic, the supply chain for new merchandise slowed down to a snail's pace.
"By that time, we were too far into the project to change course," Tim Sather explained. "Sink or swim, we needed to go forward."
Eventually, the Sathers added a surf shop, a restaurant and, even, a bar called Drake's.
"Drake's was named after Tim's golden retriever," Jennifer Sather noted.
With the inclusion of party rooms and a performance stage, Oak Hill Outdoor became more than just an outdoor store.Â
"It became a destination place," Jennifer Sather said.Â
Last year, motocross riders used Oak Hill Outdoor's parking lot as a staging point for some cycling acrobatics.
And earlier in 2022, the facility was host to several events, related to Okoboji's annual Winter Games. That included a performance by Casey Muessigman, an Iowa-born country singer-songwriter who is best known for appearing on season three of NBC's "The Voice."
Since then, Oak Hill Outdoor has held a Kentucky Derby-themed "Run for the Roses," a "Spring Splash" open house and several Ladies Night "Sip & Chill" nights.
"Even during COVID, the response to outdoor events was positive," Jennifer Sather said. "With COVID restriction loosening, things are really going great."
"People want to have fun again," Tim Sather added. "So do we."
Jennifer Sather credited her staff for helping to come up with merchandise ideas and promotions.
"I tell everyone, 'the sky's the limit,'" she said. "'Guys, let's open up the sky.'"
