It all started with the simple idea of personalized service

Riepert Salt and Supply has been a fixture in the community for 35 years. With hard work, determination, and the support of an exceptional staff, the business has grown dramatically over the past three decades. 

It Started with an Idea

It all started 35 years ago when Dan Riepert decided to start his own business. He had been introduced to the salt industry and the business world through working with his uncle as a teenager.

“I always liked the idea of entrepreneurship,” says Dan. “You know that you’re really going to get out of it whatever you put into it. The sky's the limit!”

In 1988, Dan started delivering water softener salt to local residents. He understood that exceptional customer service would get him far and treated each customer as though he was delivering to his own grandmother. “What would Grandma like? She would like delivery guys who are neat and polite, dressed in a uniform and who are helpful. They will even offer to fill the water softener!  If there’s a mess, they clean it up. And she’d want them to be on time,” Dan outlines. That’s exactly what he offered then and still offers today. Extraordinary service combined with one the best quality salt products. 

Consistent Growth Without Forgetting the Basics

“When I started this business, I had the salt tractor-trailer back up to my trailer, put a piece of steel between the two trailers and pump truck the skids over. From there, I hand loaded all the salt. Now here we are 35 years later, and we probably go through the better part of 40,000 to 50,000 tons of salt for all applications a year,” says Dan. “We have 30 people on staff and use eight trucks of our own to deliver salt along with direct shipping all across Ontario. The products delivered are bagged, bulk – totes, pneumatic, etc.”

Riepert Salt and Supply has experienced steady growth over the last three and a half decades. Dan and his team still have never forgotten the basics – exceptional customer service and good quality salt products. 

“This simple concept is almost bulletproof because the world has become such a fast, tech savvy place. People are working on computers and ordering things online, but in our industry they’ve tried every way to come up with an alternative to the standard water softener systems without any success. They don’t compare. You need salt and there is no way around it if you truly want soft water. You have to haul salt and you have to dump it in there,” explains Dan. 

These days, Riepert Salt and Supply not only delivers water softener salt to homes, but they’ve expanded to supply a wide variety of salts to many different applications and markets. This includes pool salt, food grade salts, ice salts and environmental melters, calcium chloride, and field stripe. 

“Anyone that’s really a true entrepreneur loves the opportunities and opening new doors. It is a pleasure watching the growth of our business on different levels. I love the people, both within the business and the people I meet while I’m out selling, not to mention the valued friendships I have forged with supply associates,” says Dan. 

A Successful Business Needs a Great Team

Dan doesn’t take all the credit for his business’ successes, though. He credits first and foremost his wife, Shelley, along with his 3 key managers for working together to get them where they are today. 

“The growth and success of the company doesn’t just come from me. It comes from our whole entire team. We have a really good team of people right from inside the office to the guys in the trucks – our front-line people,” explains Dan. 

To find out more about Riepert Salt & Supply, to either schedule a salt delivery or get a commercial quote, visit them online or call (519) 747-2708.