Forging enduring relationships while meeting each customer’s unique needs has always been at the heart of the 2025 Supply Shop of the Year, Oleo Acres Farrier and Blacksmith Supply. And they are the pillars upon which 50 years of service to the industry stand.

Now in its fourth generation, Rob Michel, president of the Farrier Industry Association and owner of Oleo Acres, assumed the reins from his parents Bob and Christi Michel, who took over from Christi’s father, Jack Wabschall, who was passed the torch from his parents, Vern and Sunny Olinger. 

At the core of Oleo Acres’ story are Vern and Sunny, who left a lasting impact on the farrier community before Oleo Acres ever opened its doors in 1975. After retiring from a long and successful racetrack shoeing career, Vern founded the Hillcraft School of Horseshoeing in the mid-1960s. At the time, it was the only school in Colorado and one of a handful in the country. 

“Running a school, Vern built a reputation as a tough taskmaster,” Bob says. “He wasn’t full of accolades and compliments. He was strict.” 

In his induction into the Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association Hall of Fame, it describes Olinger as “gruff and crotchety, stern and blunt, but he was also compassionate.” 

Hillcraft allowed Vern to give back to the industry by educating the next generation; while Oleo Acres was opened to supply Vern’s students with tools and shoes after graduation — another way he and Sunny could support the local community. 

Above the door at Oleo Acres, Sunny hung a sign that read: “The finest people in the world come through these doors.” This sentiment encapsulates Oleo Acres’ mindset, with its focus on community support, cultivating a dedicated and enthusiastic team and providing farriers with the best products to serve their needs. 

Growing & Changing

Each generation of Oleo Acres ownership has contributed to its success as a pillar in the farrier community. Jack Wabschall, second-generation owner, brought his business acumen with him as a former Hoover Vacuum Co. executive and built up Oleo Acre’s product lines. 

Third-generation owners Bob and Christi saw the value of a wide selection of products to fit customers’ evolving needs and continued to expand. Under their leadership, Oleo Acres opened two additional branches, one north in Berthoud and the other south in Elbert. Each location was strategically planned to be most convenient for a growing farrier population. 

Vern and Sunny Olinger founded the Hillcraft School of Horseshoeing in the mid-1960s and in 1975 opened Oleo Acres Farrier and Blacksmith Supply, now in its 50th year. Robert Michel

Fourth-generation owner Rob brought new energy to Oleo Acres. He merchandised inventory in all three locations with the customer’s needs in mind, added additional product lines and introduced $10 flat rate shipping. These strides necessitated bringing on more employees and moving the main Littleton store to a new warehouse in 2022, a jump from 3,200 square feet to 8,000 square feet. However, Oleo Acres’ continued success is not his alone. 

Team Effort

“I would put our team up against any other supply shop in the nation,” Rob says. “I’m blessed to say we have phenomenal people. I look for employees who want to hustle, and more than anything, people who want to do it right. We all make mistakes, but we try to make as few as possible. And because of that, orders go out faster and with higher accuracy.” 

Rob also makes a point to take care of his team, offering paid time off for part-time employees, a matching 401(k) program and flexible leave for family or personal emergencies, among other benefits. During COVID, when more people needed more time off, Rob stood behind them. 

“You’re betting that they’re gonna come back,” he says. “And it’s always worked out because I feel like if you treat people how you would want to be treated, it all comes full circle.”

Second-, third- and fourth-generation owners Jack Wabschall, Christi Michel and Rob Michel stand together at Oleo Acres. Robert Michel

Oleo Acres team members work hard, and it shows. Internally, it manifests as a supportive and engaging work environment. Externally, it’s apparent to customers in everything from customer service to the condition of packed orders. When Rob started including a “packed by” card in every box, one employee was concerned it would become a “who do I blame” card. 

“I told her that the customer should know who packed their order because we put a lot of time and energy into them so that they arrive in the best possible condition,” he says. 

Rob’s faith in his employees paid off. 

“I remember we had a customer from the Western slope come in wanting to see the employee on the card. She was nervous, but the customer just wanted to tell her thank you, that everything was amazing and well-packed,” he says. 

Part of what makes the Oleo Acres team so effective is Rob’s dedication to efficiency. 

Warehouse Flow

Every decision made at Oleo Acres is done with the customer in mind. So inventory is organized by category and brand for easy access, with high-demand items in front. Rob also keeps a wide selection of each product at different price points for everyone’s wants and needs. 

“When I laid out the store, I considered the popularity of the product and also who buys what,” he says. “The hunter-jumper customers buy shoes in bulk. So we made sure those options were near the front of the store.”

Oleo Acres stocks a wide variety of shoes, tools and accessories for every farrier’s needs. Maclaren Krueger

This organization not only makes it easier for customers but quicker for employees, who put together hundreds of online and phone orders per week. 

“As our inventory has gotten more comprehensive, we are constantly updating the database,” Rob says. “Each employee has an assigned aisle, so when there’s downtime, they go through their aisle, count inventory and update it live. That’s so important because when we’re taking orders on the phone, we can see in real-time if we have the item in stock at any of our locations.” 

Inventory is also replenished daily, so items can be transferred between stores where they’re needed. Bob — mostly retired — loads inventory onto his truck from the Littleton warehouse to transfer to the Berthoud and Elbert locations each week.

Business is also seasonal in Colorado, so the product mix is adjusted based on demand. Much of the hunter-jumper and dressage markets travel to Florida and Arizona over the winter, and trail riders generally pull shoes over the colder months. To maintain profitability through the winter, Rob started tapping into the blacksmith and bladesmith markets. 

“One thing that I tell every bladesmith who comes in looking for a start-up kit is that we’re a professional farrier supply store,” he says. “We’re not bringing in cheap product. You’ll never find a Chinese anvil here. You will never find anything here that is not professional grade because our core is the professional farrier.” 

Product Selection & Customer Support

To that end, if Oleo Acres didn’t have something a farrier wanted, Bob and Christi would do the research, find the product and personally follow up with the customer when it was in stock. For Rob, the sentiment is the same. 

“If our customers need it, I never want them to feel like they can’t get it here,” he says. “I don’t need to profit on every single sale. I want the overall relationship to be profitable on both ends. I want them to get the value they need from us.”

For Brian Buckner, a Fort Collins, Colo., farrier and loyal customer since 1998, Oleo Acres is the only supply store he patronizes. If he needs a specialty item but doesn’t know what size to order, he can return the unused product to avoid stocking something he may not use for another year. 

“And if they don’t have it, they’re willing to get it for you,” he says. “I needed some aluminum flux, and Rob Michel found it for me in Canada. He went above and beyond to get a product for me. They’re outstanding in that way.” 

When determining what products to stock, Rob asks, “Does the product fill a need?” A good way to answer that is to request samples and get them in the hands of relevant customers. 

“Rob gives me samples to try when something new comes out and is always interested in my feedback,” says Jason Critton, owner of C-Cross Farrier Services in Sedalia, Colo. “He cares what farriers think and wants to carry supplies they are going to use.” 

Rob factors in the price point, weighs it against what else is on the market and makes an inventory decision based on what most benefits his customers. One example is Werkman’s Maverick line — designed to fit Quarter Horse feet — which was conceived in Oleo Acres’ Littleton warehouse. When the Werkman team asked what was missing in the market, Rob and his crew were able to get direct feedback from customers and help close that gap. 

Another way Rob supports farriers is by running scheduled sales three times per year. 

“We focus on providing deep discounts for our customers during these sales,” he says. “We also have loyalty programs that can earn customers up to 10% off all goods and services. On top of that, we have student discounts to get them set up with everything they need to start their business and provide them with 5% off all products for 3 years after school or an apprenticeship to keep them going.”

Building Community

As a fourth-generation business, community is a vital part of Oleo Acres’ success — evident in the dozens of second-generation customers they have. 

“You get to know farriers and build a rapport with them,” Bob says. “Christi and I have been at this for 26 years, so we’ve seen farriers start their careers, raise families and now their kids are coming through the doors.”

The Oleo Acres team is also a resource for farriers who come through the doors with product questions.

“If somebody were to walk in here and say, I want a hind shoe that has as close to an onion heel as possible in an 8 mm, I walk them around and say, ‘Here’s your Kerckhaert, Werkman, Mustad and Kahn options.’ Then we let the farrier decide,” he says.

The Berthoud location is home to many of the accolades that Oleo Acres has received over the years, hung proudly behind the front desk. Some include the Farrier Industry Association Directors Award, the Vern Olinger Service Award, given to Oleo in 2004, local rodeo sponsor appreciation plaques and a framed news release announcing Rob Michel as the new president of Oleo Acres. Maclaren Krueger

If a customer asks what they should do, Rob gets the right person on the phone to help. He can also direct them to the two now-retired farriers on staff, Jean Gallagher and Kevin Hartridge, a former instructor at Wyoming School of Horseshoeing. In addition to connecting farriers for shoeing advice, Oleo also connects new shoers to mentors in the local community. 

“I’ve been shoeing since 2008, and when I started showing my face in the store, Bob and Christi gave me some advice on how to go about things and whose doors I should knock on to get apprenticeships, work and exposure,” says Jaime Venegas, a Parker, Colo., farrier and customer since the beginning of his career. “Quite a few guys who are starting in this business go to Oleo, and they connect them with other farriers. My helper came from them. They referred him, and it’s working out great. They have a list of guys they provide to new farriers and a list of events to attend that Oleo sponsors.”

Uplifting Local Farriers

Each year, Oleo Acres sponsors American Farrier’s Association, World Championship Blacksmiths and other equine events locally and nationally. They also support the Rocky Mountain Farriers Association’s (RMFA) contest and clinics, including hosting free clinics of their own. 

“I’m on the RMFA Colorado Classic Committee, and we have a great opportunity to grow it,” Rob says. “Now, instead of me being the only vendor at the contest, last year there were seven, and this year there were 12, including my competitors. But it’s not all about competition, it’s about community. It’s about what benefits the industry as a whole.”

The original Oleo Acres sign — named for the margarine brand — is a humorous nod to Oleo’s humble beginnings. Maclaren Krueger

Oleo has been involved with the RMFA since its inception, and that support pays off. 

“I don’t buy from anywhere else, not because he rewards me for it but because of how much he’s sponsored clinics, contests and the state association. He is one of those people who has given more than anybody to improve the local farrier community,” Venegas says.

Buckner says the annual RMFA events would not be so successful without Oleo Acres, and he returns the favor by advocating for them to young farriers.

“I hear of farriers who order things from other suppliers, and they pay shipping when they could have just patronized a wonderful store like Oleo,” he says. “So I give them a hard time when they buy outside of the area because you need to support your local farrier supply. I’ve been loyal to Oleo because the Michels are outstanding people. They’ve been so good to me over the years. Their integrity and honesty are beyond reproach.”