One of my favorite things about working in real estate is that my job is about so much more than houses. I get to know the people, businesses and communities that make southeastern Wyoming such a great place to call home.
And when a new locally owned business opens its doors, I think that’s something worth celebrating.
Today, I’m excited to introduce The Buckin’ Buffalo, a new business located at 701 Parson Street in Pine Bluffs, Wyoming.
Small businesses are such an important part of communities like Pine Bluffs. They’re where you run into people you know, discover something you weren’t expecting to find, and most importantly. support the people who are investing their own time, ideas and resources right back into our community.
So rather than simply tell you about The Buckin’ Buffalo, I thought it would be more fun to let the owners tell us themselves.
Meet the Owners
1. Tell us a little about yourselves and your connection to Pine Bluffs.
Bonabe grew-up in the Philippines and I grew-up here in Pine Bluffs. The Steege name has been a part of Laramie County for quite a few generations, with most of our family being carpenters in the Burns, Hillsdale and Carpenter areas. Pine Bluffs is where our kids grew-up of which all three have stayed in the area, and are now raising our four grandchildren.
2. Where did the idea for The Buckin’ Buffalo come from, and how did you come up with the name?
I have been involved since the early days of 3D printers, about 12 years now. The first machine I built from scratch, and fell in love with the possibilities. About two years ago it became more than just a hobby, when we were approached by a vendor in Cheyenne about making custom items for his business and it took off from there. We started the LLC called BonTer Creative LLC and a website, began attending maker craft shows in the area, which prompted us to purchase more machines and fill up our basement. After a while, we realized we needed more space and that a showroom would be something we could offer our products and services to the community as well as give us a place to expand the custom demands we were seeing. As for the name, we were looking for something western and relatable to Wyoming. Bonabe’s father proudly displayed a bull buffalo mount in their home of which Bonabe had always admired. On a trip to go see her parents, we were discussing what we should call our new venture and Buckin’ Buffalo seemed perfect to us. To our surprise, Bonabe’s Dad felt the store was a great idea and decided his prized buffalo needed to be displayed in our store.
3. What can someone expect to find when they walk through your doors?
Our main goal is for people to feel welcome and comfortable, and if just passing by, see how the people in Wyoming treat everyone, as a neighbor and friend. We strive to keep up with new products we create, offer souvenirs and gifts that make people smile, and offer to give the best service possible.
4. Is there a product, service or part of the store that you’re especially excited for people to discover?
We are really excited for all of it, but the two we are really hoping people will enjoy is our ability as a wholesaler to offer 3D printers and supplies as competitive prices, and with that, include free training and help if you need it. The second is offering classes on various aspects of 3D printing and designing to everyone. We have done a couple trial classes and they went great!
5. What has surprised you most about opening a small business?
Our biggest surprise has been the support of the local people in the community, and the great ideas they have given us in the form of suggestions.
6. What do you hope The Buckin’ Buffalo becomes for Pine Bluffs and the surrounding communities over the next few years?
We really would love it if we could expand what we offer to our customers, as well as offer opportunities to the youth in our communities in the form of part-time jobs as well as bring in people from all around to not only visit our store, but support the surrounding small businesses. We love this area, it is where our friends live, our family lives, and where we call home.
Why Supporting Local Matters
I spend a lot of time talking about what makes a community desirable from a real estate standpoint, location, housing, schools, amenities and quality of life. But there’s another piece that’s harder to put on a spreadsheet: the people who are willing to invest in their community.
New businesses bring energy to a town. They give us another reason to shop locally, another place to send visitors and another opportunity to keep our dollars close to home.
That’s why I’m excited to welcome The Buckin’ Buffalo to Pine Bluffs.
If you haven’t stopped in yet, add them to your list. Go introduce yourself, see what they’ve created, and support another local business that’s choosing to invest in our corner of Wyoming.
The Buckin’ Buffalo
701 Parson Street
Pine Bluffs, Wyoming