The Strieb family enjoys working together while assisting their customers with choosing the right equipment. Matt and Mandy are shown with their children (l to r) Dane, Evie and Keil. (Photo by Jacob Shaffer)

Fluid Fun Canoe and Kayak Sales is located at 609 N. Division Street in Bristol, just north of the St. Joseph River bridge. There customers will see an inventory of 400 boats, making Fluid Fun the largest paddlesports dealer in the entire Midwest.

The owners, Matt and Mandy Streib, sell 600 boats each year. Hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. (“On Sunday we’re paddling,” says Matt.) Call 848-4279 for more information.

Although the store has an interesting website (www.fluidfun.com), the Streibs do not sell boats online, because different needs make it impossible to select a boat properly without taking it for a “test drive.” Since the store has access to the St. Joseph River, customers can fulfill the motto “try before you buy.”

In order to understand the customers’ needs, sales staff members ask questions of prospective buyers, such as: Why do you want a boat? Do you live on the water? Do you plan to transport the boat? They then look at various boats, trying them out for weight, size, comfort, and handling. Boats can range in price from $265 to $4,000, so choosing the right one is important.

The sales personnel at Fluid Fun have an extraordinarily high level of experience and expertise to offer. Terry and Jan Streib, Matt’s parents, started selling canoes out of their back yard in the early 1970s. They acquired the Fluid Fun name in 1978, sold the business to Matt a few years ago, and still help with sales. Both of them, as well as Matt and Mandy, have held national championships in paddlesports competitions. All the Streibs continue to spend time in their beloved boats. Matt says that he is “on the river 300 days a year.”

Matt recently attended a successful boat show in Indianapolis, and is now preparing for a show in Fort Wayne. The Outdoor Sports, Lake & Cabin Show will be held March 12-14 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Matt plans to offer special deals on the 30 boats he will display there. He will also offer one “Show Stopper” each day for the super low price of $175, on a “first come, first served” basis.

Matt and Mandy, when not paddling, are busy raising the next generation of water enthusiasts, Dane (2 ½), Evie (14 months), and Keil (two weeks old). Matt also has a daughter, Kinsey, who is a communications student at Purdue University.

Edward Jones employees are pictured above left to right: Jeff Estep, Sandi Miller, Sharon Dawson and Bert Molner. (Photo by Jeff Stanley)

Award-winning success in Bristol has given Bert Molner and Sharon Dawson the opportunity to specialize in offering exciting new financial products and services to their clients and the community. Financial advisor Molner is a partner with Edward Jones Investments (EJI), whose corporate offices are in St. Louis, and Dawson is the Branch Office Administrator at the Bristol location, 203 E. Vistula Street, across from the Bristol Opera House.

Their ability to pursue new avenues of service will be greatly assisted by the imminent opening of a new branch office in Elkhart Plaza West on North Nappanee Street in Elkhart. Jeff Estep, handpicked and trained by Molner, will staff the new location.

Jeff will take over responsibility for the Investment Club started by Molner and Dawson. With almost 400 members, it is the largest such group in the Midwest. Jeff will also provide service to about one-half of the current clients now served from the Bristol office of EJI.

These changes will allow Bert and Sharon to concentrate on utilizing their rich and varied experiences, and the expertise they have worked hard to attain. Among those who can reap the benefits of this new focus are successful entrepreneurs, investors seeking to increase income and reduce taxes, those planning their legacies, and those working with wealth transfers.

Both Bert and Sharon are specialists in estate planning and probate matters. They plan to expand their service to business owners seeking to sell or merge their companies, and to those who are exploring exit strategies leading to retirement. They have hired an additional staff member to assist with these expansion efforts.

Molner and Dawson work hard to keep up with new developments in legislation and in the field of financial services. One technique, called “Golden Handcuffs,” is being used by business owners to attract, retain, and reward key employees. As an incentive for productive tenure, the employer purchases a policy which will give a long-term employee generous insurance benefits and tax-free retirement income.

Another new product will allow older clients to plan successfully for long term care (LTC), either at home or in a residential facility. New insurance and investment provisions allow individuals to obtain long term care without having to sell all their assets first. Even those above 70 years of age are eligible to take advantage of this opportunity.

More information can be acquired by calling 848-9070, where the phone is actually answered by a friendly human being. Bert and Sharon are dedicated to continuing to offer personal service built on trust, in a climate where it is still possible to “do business on a handshake.” Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.