To say that Blaine Kawcak is a proud native of Moffat County would be an understatement.

Besides spending considerable amounts of his 35 years both working and playing amid the great outdoors of Northwest Colorado, his commitment to the area is such that his family name is ingrained in one of the most enduring businesses.

For more than 40 years, MJK Sales & Feed has provided needed supplies to agricultural customers and everyday shoppers and is still going strong with Blaine in a management position. The business takes its moniker from his grandfather’s initials and has since added the Ace Hardware brand, but whether it’s the familiar feed store on Ranney Street that longtime customers recall or the shop’s much larger headquarters on First Street, Blaine will always think of it as a family business.

What is it about Moffat County that sticks out to you when you think of home? The outdoor recreational life. There are many different outdoor activities you can do right here in Moffat County.

What are you most proud of when it comes to your personal or professional accomplishments here? Professional, it would be growing and learning to follow in my father’s footsteps to keep the family business going. Personal, developing the successful show cattle herd we have alongside my wife.

How do you hope to grow both personally and professionally in 2021? In 2021, I hope to learn many new skills to help me succeed with the store and our cattle.

What is the best business advice you have ever received? Always keep looking ahead at new things and not get stagnant.

With people looking to move out of the city and into smaller communities, what advice would you give to those 40 and under moving to Moffat County? My advice to anyone under 40 moving to the area would be, take the drive. Take the drive across the town, to the mountains, to the next city. The scenery is some of the best you will ever take in. It’s nothing you can see in or around most big cities. It will make you feel right at home in our small town.