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player ready...Business: PetSuites of America
Address: 540 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville
Phone/website: 630-389-8451, Naperville.PetSuitesOfAmerica.com
General manager: Rick Chlibovytsch, 56, of Bolingbrook
Years in business: Opened in November
What does your business do? “Boarding (for pets). Overnight boarding. Then, we have day care/day play. A lot of people who work bring their dogs in for the day. Most of the dogs go into group play. Some dogs don’t like other dogs. They get individual play, one-on-one with a team member. We don’t exclude,” Chlibovytsch said.
What else do you offer? “Puppy pre-school for dogs six months and under. It’s learning socialization, how to be with other dogs. … There’s also puppy kindergarten for six months to a year. Teaching manners. … We have a full-time trainer for individual or group training. … We have a full-time groomer.”
How many people work here? “We have a resort manager And we have about 20 more employees. It takes a big staff. You’re dealing with live animals so you have to make sure nothing slips through cracks.”
Why do you work here? “I’ve been a dog lover my whole life. I have four dogs at home. A good thing about working here is employees are allowed to bring their pets. … Most days, I have at least one of my dogs here. They get to socialize. … I recently sold my last business (in home improvement supplies) and was looking for a new career opportunity, A recruiter called me. When I was 14, I worked in a pet store, Noah’s Ark in Stratford Square Mall.”
How’s business? “It’s going really good. Being only a couple months old, we’re still ramping up. We know it will take a good year.”
Are there PetSuites nearby? “St. Charles, Lake in the Hills, Arlington Heights. There are about 60 PetSuites nationwide.”
What’s the business philosophy? “Everything is done with the dogs’ best interest (in mind). That impressed me when I came onboard. There’s no cutting corners.”
What sets you apart? “We are a 14,000-square foot, all-indoor facility, which is nice when it’s really cold or hot out. We have a state-of-the-art (air) filtration system so hopefully it never smells bad in here. The place is disinfected minimum twice a day, top to bottom.”
When are you busy? “Around Thanksgiving and Christmas was really busy for us. Spring break is going to be very busy.”
Any highlights? “We have luxury townhomes in the back. A raised bed. TV’s in the suites. We have The Animal Planet (channel) playing for them. Those are sold out for spring break.”
What’s the pricing? “All-Day Play is $35, half day is $24. Boarding is $43 for classic, $51 for luxury. One day of puppy pre-school costs $42.” (All pricing is available online.)
What about cats? “We have some cat townhomes, cat condos, a cat room. Cats are a small percentage. We offer individual play time with cats.”
What do you like best? “If I’m working up here and get stressed, I can go back and play with the dogs in a group for a while. It raises my spirits.”
When are you open? “Seven days a week, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. We charge by the night so, technically, you can drop your dog (off) at 6:30 p.m. Monday, pick it up at 8 p.m. Tuesday. That’s a one-day charge.”
Do the dogs get along? “Most of the time they do. We evaluate every dog that comes in. If you want the dog to go into group play, we evaluate that dog with three different dogs, one with low energy, one with medium energy and one with high energy to see how the dog will react. … Today, we have a 15-year-old dog here. His first time. He’s in group having a great time.”
Why should people bring their dogs here? “It keeps them busy. A dog sitting at home all day? It’s sad. Dogs get bored. We offer an enrichment service, puzzles or hide-and-seek to keep their minds busy.”
What misconceptions do people have? “That a dog will stay in a cage the whole time. … We offer a ‘pawgress’ report with a photo and daily update on their dog.”
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Any favorite stories? “It makes me happy when regular customers say their dog gets exited in the car because he knows he’s coming here.”
Any future plans? “We’re working with the Naperville Humane Society. We want to do charity events as far as raising adoption awareness and fostering. We’re working on dates.”
What’s your advice for someone starting a business? “The old saying, if you find something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
If you know of a business you’d like to see to profiled in Down to Business, contact Steve Metsch at [email protected].
Steve Metsch is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.