With an interest in serving their friends and neighbors, Kyle Waliezer and Jeff Halme decided to build a new convenience store and gas station, while capitalizing on the increased truck traffic in the Lake Norden area. The location carries a history of providing fuel and other services to U.S. Highway 81 traffic that dates back to 1936. Moving to the site when the highway was re-routed, the original station was built by Al and Emily Flakus and was called Alsville Service and Garage, Café and Modern Cabins. The Flakus family ran the business for 36 years and after other owners took over, the business eventually dissolved. With the historic name of “Alsville”, Waliezer and Halme opted to add “Crossing”, with the business now being known as Alsville Crossing.
Alsville Crossing became a reality with financing provided by Dacotah Bank in Brookings and an SBA 504 loan from First District Development Company. Waliezer and Halme were able to utilize the 504 program to keep their down payment and long term payments as affordable as possible. Without this partnership between business owners, banks, and FDDC, start-up facilities, like Alsville Crossing, would be more difficult to materialize.
Alsville C
rossing will cater to both the increased truck traffic due to the Agropur cheese plant expansion in Lake Norden, South Dakota, and the increased workers who are commuting from other areas. The business will offer food options that would not otherwise be available in a rural area, including pizza, ice cream, broasted chicken, sandwiches, and a signature daily lunch special. Besides food, the store will provide essentials for boaters and campers who freque
nt the area lakes. Providing basic groceries, live bait, sporting goods, and fishing and camping supplies are key to attracting area sportsmen and travelers.
Congratulations to the new owners of Alsville Crossing – market research and hard work have paid off with this state-of-the-art facility, while keeping with the history of the location.