“There was method to the madness,” said Sprucewood Tack Shop owner Nathan Ropp. But there was also a hint of the latter as their expanded location at 101 Woodstock Street South, Tavistock, opened for business November 19th 2025 , two short – or very long – months after the property closed.
“It was a bit of a blur,” Ropp admitted with a laugh. The company’s inventory had essentially been shipped to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto for the two weeks prior to that moving date.
“Might as well bring it back here rather than to the old spot,” Ropp explained of the rapid turnaround. “Let’s just say… we have a good team – a very good team.”
Sprucewood Tack was founded in 1987 by Nathan’s parents on their family farm outside of Tavistock so it was important to Nathan and his wife, Sarah to maintain strong family connections in this town. This was an important consideration, as the business grew significantly, ultimately stretching the limitations of its 3,500-square-foot original home in a horse barn. “The company’s growth over the last ten years is because we’ve really doubled down online and at horse shows,” said Ropp.
After exploring the opportunities and challenges of on-farm expansion, they investigated numerous avenues and settled on their current 25,000-square-foot facility in Tavistock as the most viable option, offering a combination of retail, office and warehouse space.
“We realized many positives in the first six months at this new location. It’s given us even more opportunities to be involved with the community. We have a lot more foot traffic.” – Which is a benefit to both Sprucewood and other businesses in the area through mutual attraction and support.
Leasing the building’s extra space has always been the plan. “Now that we’re open and settled and sorted and cleaned up, we’re able to have other people come in too.”
Sprucewood Tack is offering 6,000 square feet of warehouse space featuring in-floor heating, a 20-foot ceiling and steel racking. This space is serviced by a loading dock and ramp access, and there is also a secondary 1,500-square-foot warehouse space.
Additionally, three offices, roughly 12 by 15 feet, are available for professional service providers. “Anyone from accountants to lawyers to health care.”
Tenants will have shared access to the boardroom, lunchroom and bathrooms during regular business hours Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm.
Nathan and Sarah are open to working with a range of businesses through a range of possibilities to find the right fit.
Having just navigated the business expansion and site location process, their experience highlighted both the importance and limited availability of available high-quality office, commercial and industrial space in rural areas. And for a company whose foundational principles include ‘from here and committed to the community,’ Nathan Ropp is pleased to offer opportunity to others facing similar challenges. “I’m all for small business because small business can make a large impact in our communities.”
Learn more about Sprucewood Tack online at https://sprucewoodtack.com/ or stop by Sprucewood Tack’s Grand Opening on Saturday, March 28th from 10am – 5pm. It will be a community celebration featuring a number of local businesses. Everyone is welcome!