The Complete K9 and The Houndry are woman-owned brick-and-mortar businesses focused on serving man’s best friend. Three Roots Capital (3Roots) is proud to provide them with financing and technical assistance to promote their long-term success.
“3Roots supports small and growing businesses,” said President, CEO and Founder Grady Vanderhoofven. “The beauty of running an outside-the-box financing institution is that we work on major deals, like the recent projects at the University of Tennessee Research Park, and smaller, grassroots operations like The Complete K9 and The Houndry.”
Fallon Houser has always had a soft spot for animals. After running a dog rescue and working for a dog training franchise, she decided to forge her own path and form The Complete K9, a dog training provider focused on nutrition, training, wellness and athletics. It currently has six locations across the greater southeast.
“It’s extremely tough to open a business. Most people who haven’t done it have no idea the long hours, stress, and sleepless nights that go into building something that can help support you and your family,” said Fallon.
Fallon needed financing and business help. She connected with Director of Small Business Lending and Investing Dennis Corley through 3Roots’ relationship with Walt Bowman, a small business specialist at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) office in Cleveland, Tennessee.
“3Roots stepped in and gave us a traditional commercial real estate loan with a fantastic rate, a business loan to help us consolidate some liabilities, and additional capital for the slower winter season,” said Fallon. “They also helped – and are still helping – us learn more about our industry trends and how to forecast our finances month by month.”
Fallon Houser of The Complete K9
To support Fallon, 3Roots leveraged the LendTN program, recently established by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development as part of the Fund Tennessee program. The LendTN program utilizes funds made available to Tennessee as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), and the purpose of the program is to supplement private capital available to make loans to underserved small businesses in Tennessee. Grady and Dennis believe 3Roots is likely the first lender or investor in Tennessee to deploy capital under the Fund Tennessee program and the LendTN program.
“We’ve received a ton of support, allowing us to ride out slumps and stay on track to grow and offer better services,” said Fallon. “Dennis and Walt have been wonderful to work with and have helped us bring our business to the next level.”
Amanda Lovegrove has a background in managing dog daycares and boarding facilities, while Leah Hunter is a self-described “picky dog mom.” Together, they wanted to open a local daycare center that was transparent and trustworthy.
“We’ve always wanted to provide a space where dogs could be safe, have fun and socialize,” said Amanda.
In 2016, Amanda and Leah opened The Houndry in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. During 2020, they expanded their daycare into a dog adventure company that offers daily nature walks for dogs in the surrounding region. In May 2023, they opened The Backyard, a dog park and beer garden.
“We’ve found a core group of supporters, clients and friends. That makes a huge difference,” said Leah. “Many of our clients have been with us since the beginning. They’re like family to us now.”
3Roots connected with Amanda and Leah through 3Roots Board Chairman David Bradshaw, Oak Ridge Area Manager for Pinnacle Financial Partners. Pinnacle provided a construction loan to build The Backyard, but the business needed access to operating capital to pull the project over the finish line. The project was the right fit for 3Roots’ rural microloan program and additional business coaching.
“The 3Roots team is very welcoming and made the process easy. We are so thankful for their financial guidance and highly recommend them,” said Leah.
While providing access to capital is critical for small businesses, 3Roots is also committed to coaching and connecting entrepreneurs to needed resources and relationships that help them grow and thrive.
“I enjoy working with bright, engaging entrepreneurs with a vision for what they want to accomplish and the drive to see it through – because entrepreneurship is difficult, no matter the industry,” said Dennis. “Working with Amanda, Leah and Fallon has been a pleasure.”