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Northwest Iowa’s Top Outdoor Store is Right Here in Spencer

Andy Steffen admits he doesn’t get as much time outdoors as he’d like.

But as the owner of No Limits Outdoors, located at 212 11th Street SW in Spencer, that’s because he’s kept busy running the store he started and owns; and helping other avid hunters and anglers in Northwest Iowa find the gear they need.

“I try to make as much time as possible, but lately it doesn’t seem to be working out,” Steffen said of his time spent hunting and fishing.

When it does work out, though, Steffen is out hunting waterfowl or pheasant – two of his favorite outdoor activities.

“I enjoy hunting ducks and geese and then pheasant hunting, but second would probably be walleye fishing or fishing in general,” he said. “I just love fishing, whether it be open water or ice, especially since my son’s able to do it with me.”

Then there’s deer hunting, of course, another activity popular in the Iowa Great Lakes area that keeps Steffen busy.

The Perfect Outdoor Store Location

However, what keeps him most busy these days is his store. Steffen opened No Limits Outdoors in July of 2010. While he manages the store operations, his wife, Rachel, heads up bookkeeping and accounting.

Now, No Limits Outdoors is known regionally as one of the best – if not the number one – outdoor stores in all of Northwest Iowa. The location in Spencer absolutely helps.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here for an outdoorsman, without a doubt,” Steffen said.

And, as the guy who runs the store, he gets to hear the many stories of those opportunities firsthand from customers of all ages. He said it’s most likely his favorite part of being in the store.

Steffen said, “it makes it worth it, every time you hear about a kid, who went out and shot his first bird, after coming into your store with questions about what they should use or how they should go about that hunt. Same with helping parents who don’t really get outside a lot, but want their kids to, that’s probably the best thing about my job: The people.”

There’s never a shortage of those stories from the regulars who come in to share them or check up on what might be new in the shop.

“We’ve got the guys that come in on a regular basis and we’ve got guys that kind of come in on a semi-regular basis,” Steffen said. “We’ve got great customers.

Before No Limits was around, those customers were lacking a place where they could stock up on hunting and fishing gear, while also speaking to people who have used similar gear themselves. Sure, there were stores to buy the necessary equipment, but there wasn’t always that expert or seasoned outdoorsman to ask about tips, tricks and strategies for how to find success either in the field or out on the water. “There just was not an outdoor sporting goods store,” Steffen said. He noted that there were places in town where a person could go to buy a bow and archery equipment, as well as a gun store here and there.

But as far as a true outdoor store that specializes in outdoor gear of all kinds? There wasn’t really one until No Limits filled that void.

You could say Steffen was meant for the job. His great grandfather ran a gun and taxidermy shop in Terril for years.

“I’ve been around this stuff my whole life,” he said.

How the Chamber Helps Businesses Like No Limits

Steffen has the experience and the business know-how, but he also has the support of many customers within an hour drive – and of course the Spencer community itself.

Steffen said one of the benefits of being located in Spencer is not only the support of the city and its people, but also from the Spencer Chamber of Commerce. He said the Chamber has shown its value through how it assists small businesses like his.

He cited the popular Chamber Gift Card Program as an example. Through the program, people spend thousands of dollars each year to then be used as gifts for family and friends that can be redeemed at chamber member businesses.

“It’s something you definitely want to be a part of,” Steffen said “So that you can take advantage of that.”

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WINTER 2022 THRIVE SPENCER MAGAZINE 17

What’s Going On

January 28, February 25, March 4 – Eggs & Issues January 24 – Lunch & Learn, Hosted by Black Hills Energy February 3,10 – Bowling Fundraiser February 20 – Ag Outlook, Vendor Appreciation / Business After Hours February 21 – Ag Outlook, 38th Annual Northwest Iowa Ag Outlook Trade Show March 16 – Career Fair June 9-11 – Flagfest Weekend June 23 – Golf Fundraising Outing

Spencer Stats

Nationally Ranked

• Population 11,325 • Major retail hub for communities within a 50-mile radius of Spencer • Named one of the top 10 best small towns in the U.S.A. • Ranked No. 4 ‘Top 10 Affordable Small Towns Where You’d Actually Want To Live’ • Two Historic Districts

• Spencer is home to the second-largest tourist activity in the state of Iowa, the Clay County Fair, which runs for 9 days and attracts over 300,000 visitors! • Spencer has a population pull of nearly 70,000 people

• Spencer Hospital celebrates 7th year as one of the Top 20 Rural Hospitals nationally • Northwest Bank awarded 2022 Top Workplaces USA • Spencer Middle School named National Blue Ribbon School in 2021