Taste of Tea Community Guide—2023

Photo by Marcus Vasecka

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

Your neighborhood FAREWAY Meat & Grocery team. Left to right: Bryan Youngstrom, Grocery Manager, Krista Evans, Assistant Grocery Manager, Cullen Johnson, Assistant Grocery Manager, Matt Stotts, Market Manager

WELCOME TO TEA!

Welcome to Tea, South Dakota! As people travel up and down Interstate 29, they pass by our hometown every day . If you venture west past our thriving industrial park and burgeoning retail sector adjacent to the freeway, you may be surprised to discover restaurants, groceries, churches, hardware, ice cream and peaceful neighborhoods in the heart of Tea Best of all, you’ll meet friendly people ready to welcome you to an engaging community that includes access to big city amenities

On behalf of the members of the Tea Chamber for Development, thank you for spending time getting a “Taste of Tea” in the pages of this publication You’ll meet local homeowners and home-grown businesses that make Tea one of the best places to live and work You’ll learn a little bit about our town’s origins and our award-winning school district .

Tea was platted in 1894 and incorporated in 1902 The 1910 census identified a sleepy village of 130 residents.

Our population remained modest until the 1990s when Tea finally broke the 1,000 resident threshold; and today is home to about 6,000, making Tea one of the fastest growing communities in the state The Tea Area School District was founded only 20 years ago, yet continues to set new benchmarks in the number of students served

The Tea Chamber anticipates this positive cycle of growth to continue for both resident or business numbers At the same time, we also pride ourselves on the ability to retain the friendliness of a small town

Enjoy this Taste of Tea and your life or visit in Tea!

Andrea Kuipers, President Tea Chamber for Development

Publishers: Garrett and Mindy Gross

Advertising Sales: Garrett Gross

Editor: Bob Fitch

Photo by Marcus Vasecka

COMMUNITY CONTACTS

CITY OF TEA

TEA CITY HALL

600 E 1st St , PO Box 128 Tea SD 57064

tea@iw net

www.teasd.com

OFFICE HOURS

Monday - Thursday, 8 am-5 pm

Friday, 8 am-4 pm

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR EMERGENCIES, DIAL 911

MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT

PARKS & RECREATION

Jake Kerr, jkerr@teasd com

www.teaparkandrecreation.com

PLANNING & ZONING / BUILDING SERVICES

605-498-5194

POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR EMERGENCIES, DIAL 911

520 Figzel Court

605-498-2518 (Not answered 24 hours)

SWIMMING POOL

WATER & SEWER SERVICES

Water-sewer setup, service or disconnect

605-498-0150

605-498-5195

605-498-2906

605-498-5194

605-498-5192

Administrator Kevin Nissen knissen@sdtea .org

Building Inspector Tim Odland

• Mechanical Inspector

Steve Robertson

605-366-5483

605-595-3527

605-498-5193

Water or Sewer Emergency 605-940-8504

• New water meter installation 605-940-8504

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

CALL BEFORE YOU DIG South Dakota One Call / Utility Locate 811

POST OFFICE 605-368-2871

TEA CHAMBER FOR DEVELOPMENT 605-498-5194

600 E 1st St Tea, SD 57064

teachamberfordevelopment@gmail com www.teasdchamber.com

TEA COMMUNITY LIBRARY 605-498-0281

500 West Bryan St

Hours vary by day and season For detailed information, see www.teasd.com/community/library

Sunrise over Tea.

Photo by Don McCleer.

TEA DAYCARES AND PRESCHOOLS

LIL FRIENDS

School-Age 5-12

800 E Ryan Dr , Tea 605-498-8953

mary@lilfriendslearningcenter .com

LIL FRIENDS LEARNING CENTER

Ages 0-5 500 E . 1st St , Tea 605-498-8952

jessica@lilfriendslearningcenter com

RISEN SAVIOR LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL 1401 N . Main Ave , Tea 605-498-5050

SUPER TITANS CHILDCARE CENTER 725 E Kevin Dr, Tea 605-498-1505

www supertitanschildcare .com

TEA HEAD START 500 W Charish St , Tea 800-813-8132

TEA SPROUTS PRESCHOOL 500 W Brian St , Tea 605-498-2700 131 N Poplar Ave , Tea 605-214-0913

TRINITY LUTHERAN PRESCHOOL 335 W 1st St , Tea 605-498-2343

TEA TRAILBLAZERS CHILDCARE CENTER 2100 Devon Ave ., Tea 605-498-1234

www TeaTrailblazers com

TT@TEATRAILBLAZERS COM

Ages: 4 weeks to School Age Preschool Curriculum for all ages 1 and up

THE CHURCHES OF TEA

AT THE TABLE CHURCH

2010 Venture St #1, Tea

605-759-9182

Gathers Sunday: 4 pm Prep & Connnect

5 p m Supper followed Gather groups

EMBRACE CHURCH

720 Figzel Court, Tea

605-213-3333

Sunday Service 8:45 am, 10 am, and 11:15 am

Children’s Church Sunday 10 am & 11:15 am

LIVING HOPE COMMUNITY CHURCH

305 E Brian St , Tea

605-498-5876

Sunday School 9:00 am

Sunday Worship 10:00 am

RISEN SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH & PRESCHOOL

1401 Main Ave , Tea

605-468-5050

Sunday Worship 9:00 am

Sunday School & Bible Class 10:15 am

ST. NICHOLAS CHURCH

140 W Brian St , Tea

605-498-5792

Saturday Mass 5:00 pm

Sunday Mass 7:30 am & 9:00 am

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH

335 W . 1st St Tea

605-498-2343

Sunday Worship — 8:00 am & 10:30 am

(Sunday Worship, Memorial Day-Labor Day 9:00 am)

Sunday School and Adult Bible Study 9:15 am

Wednesday Worship 6:30 pm

FAMILY LIFE IN TEA, SOUTH DAKOTA ‘YOU CAN WAVE AT PEOPLE AND EVERYONE STILL WAVES BACK’

By Bob Fitch

A lot of high school seniors can’t wait to “escape” their hometown . So when a new high school graduate is a vocal ambassador for the quality of his hometown, it just might be a sign that something is going right in the city of Tea .

“On our football team, we said ‘team, pride, trust .’ I think that’s how Tea is as a community,” said Nathan Babb, a 2023 graduate of Tea Area High School . He was a multi-sport athlete who is going to major in biology/pre-med at Augustana University “We trust each other, our neighbors are part of our team in life, and we just have pride in our community

Instilling those values of team, pride and trust really is something that we believe in ”

He continued, “With our class, there’s a lot of kids just staying close (USD, SDSU, Augie) I think that says something about the community This is our home and we feel that we are supported here Even though Tea is growing, it’s still a small town You can wave at people and everyone still waves back . It’s still got that small town atmosphere ”

Nathan, 18, is the son of Tom and Julie Babb, 16year residents of Tea Tom is an ambulatory care pharmacist at Avera’s North Central Heart Clinic . He grew up in Beresford Julie is a registered nurse in the labor and delivery department at Sanford Health

The Babb family. Front: Jaycie, Rocky and Allie. Back: Julie, Tom and Nathan. Photo by Julie Babb.

She grew up in Mapleton, Iowa, before moving to Sioux City and graduating from East High School Both graduated from Augustana, where Tom played football and Julie played softball Tom earned his doctorate of pharmacy at SDSU

“Both of us grew up in small communities and we wanted to raise our kids in a small community, too We both grew up being able to play all the sports and that’s something you can find here in Tea,” said Tom They also enjoy the friends they’ve made in their tight-knit neighborhood According to Julie, “In our neighborhood, at least six families have been here for over 10 years . In the summer, everybody’s garage doors are open and kids are up and down the street Kids and parents are outside talking . Nobody has fences in their backyards and the kids and dogs can run back and forth ”

In fact, for the Babb family, this is their second house on the same street in the northwestern part of Tea . “It’s a great neighborhood we didn’t want to leave So (13 years ago) we built a new house down the block and across the street,” Tom said

LIVES ARE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER

The family has also made life-long friends at Embrace Church. “We really live our lives together; and lives are changed for the better,” Tom said He and Julie were already members of the church at its Sioux Falls campus when it added a location in Tea nine years ago What makes Embrace Church special? “Well, honestly, it’s imperfect,” said Julie “That’s kind of our motto – ‘You’re imperfect and so are we ’ We’re always trying to reach the next person ”

Nathan added, “We’re very inviting I had a friend who I just kept inviting. He finally decided to come and he’s been coming every single week this year It’s cool to have a place where people feel comfortable coming in even when they have no church background ” Embrace is located at 720 Fizgel Court, but is in the midst of constructing a new building across the road on the east side of 469th Avenue

Tom said, “We’ve had awesome teachers and we have an amazing superintendent who just won superintendent of the year She’s getting needs met and she’s very community-focused She’s at all the games and she’s very approachable ” Tom is the coach of the Tea baseball team and he got a “let’s solve it” response from Superintendent Jen Lowry when the team was looking for a spot to install an indoor practice facility The baseball association and the school district were able to put in a baseballsoftball practice facility in an underutilized small gym at the DEC building “Now we can get our softball and baseball players some reps in the winter Dr Lowry wants the student-athletes to succeed She’s very competitive, as are we,” he said

In addition to Nathan, Tom and Julie have two daughters Jaycie, 16, will be a sophomore at TAHS in the fall; and Allie, 12, will be a sixth grader. Teachers and coaches have been very influential in the lives of the Babb children. They specifically cited the influence history teacher Ryan Decker and math teacher Laura Berg have had on Jaycie Both are cross country coaches who have given confidence to the 16-year-old Julie said the way the coaches have pushed Jaycie the last three years “is something a mom prays for in her kids’ lives ”

Jaycie plays softball and runs track and cross country . She’s also played volleyball and basketball In his senior year, Nathan was on the football, baseball and track teams In the past, he also played basketball and wrestled He’ll be playing baseball as a walk-on at Augustana

Allie enjoys whatever sport is in season, plus art and animals Her favorite school subject is math and she’s looking forward to middle school in the fall

Between the two of them, Tom and Julie have coached football, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball and soccer They praised Jeff Portner and John Ganshaw, and all of the volunteers for Tea Parks & Recreation programs .

TEACHERS AND COACHES IMPACT LIVES

The Babb family believes the community gave the Tea Area School District, its teachers and students a big thumbs up when the recent school bond referendum passed with 86 percent of the vote

“Athletics is what we do,” she said “Usually, we don’t even come home from work We go straight to the field.” Nathan said they eat supper about 9:30 most nights .

Tom said, “Even when we have nights off, we still often end up at the field with each other. That’s just what we enjoy doing ”

TEA BUSINESS ADVANCES AN INDUSTRY WITH ROBOTICS

By Bob Fitch

A family-owned business in Tea is on the leading edge of technological changes in North American manufacturing . DeGeest is sparking a transformation at its Tea site that is having reverberations across the country .

DeGeest? Is that the welding shop on the east side of town? Well, yes and no . The company was founded as DeGeest Manufacturing in 1976 by Clint DeGeest, who had been a welder during his service in the U S Navy It started as a traditional welding shop and family members are proud of that heritage Today, steel fabrication remains central to DeGeest’s business, which also includes finishing and selling automation solutions and products

DeGeest provides hundreds of thousands of parts to manufacturers in the fields of agriculture, forestry, mining, construction and utilities As the company grew, the name was changed to DeGeest Steel Works; and, recently, it was changed again to simply “DeGeest.” The name simplification reflects the company’s commitment to expanding its range of customer services past production to include robotic and automation solutions

In the beginning, Clint and his wife, Glenyce, had one employee Their son, Scott, joined them in 1978 Today, Scott’s sons, Matt and Derek, and Derek’s wife, Alicia, represent the third generation involved in the family business, which now employs 70 and is still growing The company tripled its square footage in the last decade

Members of De Geest family. Front row: Alicia and Glenyce. Back Row: Derek, Scott and Matt. Glenyce’s husband, Clint, founded the company in 1976. All photos courtesy of DeGeese.

TEA: SMALL TOWN PERKS

“Tea is like a suburb of Sioux Falls, but still with all the perks of a small town,” said Derek, who is president of the company “You can go in the gas station and people know your name and say ‘hi ’ In the restaurants, the owners come out and talk to the people You can feel safe and comfortable here, yet we’re only five minutes away from Sioux Falls. You have all the benefits of the city with the feel of our little suburb ”

“As a business, you can make a difference in Tea,” said Alicia, who performs DeGeest’s marketing and media relations “There is a strong feeling of community here and you feel a part of it ” In addition to supporting area businesses and organizations, DeGeest is particularly enthusiastic about its relationship with the Tea Area School District, including the career and technical education program at TAHS The company has invested time, materials and money to support curriculum focused on welding and related trades The school’s manufacturing-oriented program has gone from 15 to 70 students in three years According to Derek, “There are very highly paid and fulfilling careers in this industry It’s not just welding, but there’s also mechatronics, engineering, painting, robotic programming, sales, finance, accounting and marketing ”

Parents who have attended DeGeest’s student welding competitions are often “surprised to learn about the level of automation and technology being used in a manufacturing company right here,” Derek said

AUTOMATION ADDRESSES SEVERAL CHALLENGES

Traditionally, many old school manufacturing jobs were physically demanding and workers couldn’t stay in the positions until retirement “We need to automate our operations to develop jobs into careers so we can keep our people longer,” said Derek “Manufacturing as an industry has very advanced technology . At DeGeest, we make sure our people are at the very forefront of all we do and empower

Painting with a DSW Booth Side 2 Lesta Robot.

them to be successful with technology – working smarter not harder We also take what we learn to help other manufacturers adapt robotic solutions into their facility ”

“Automation and robotics help adapt the expertise and knowledge of our most experienced teams to ensure incoming generations can be successful,” he said

A corresponding reason to further automate manufacturing is the fragile nature of the supply chain and availability of materials made so evident during Covid “For us to be a free nation, we must be more self-sustaining by competitively making or building the things we need Otherwise, we’re at the mercy of something like a pandemic or geo-national political pressures, or we’re at the whim of what other countries want to do That puts us in such a vulnerable place, unable to control our costs or have products for our country Automation can support and grow manufacturing in the U S ,” he said Society is realizing robotics and other aspects of automation are not taking away jobs but are, instead, “… augmenting and helping people develop to a higher level of problem solving and engagement with their work . We’re automating repetitive work that people shouldn’t do; and, finally, creating other opportunities to work with more highly-engaged skill sets,” he said

INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS, LOCAL SOLUTIONS, NATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

DeGeest works in concert with several European partners, by not only using their technology in Tea, but also by selling the vetted solutions to other manufacturers . Fronius International, an Austrianbased manufacturer, is active in the fields of welding technology, photovoltaics and battery charging technology Lesta is an Italian-based company

specializing in software applications in robotics finishing. DeGeest is Lesta’s partner in North America.

Lesta robots automate the finishing process to help increase production capacity . In a weightless selflearning mode, the robot duplicates the precise movements of a manufacturer’s best painter and repeats them on future parts In essence, the movements of a painter with decades of experience are captured for ongoing use

In its transition to more automated processes, DeGeest recognized the company can’t succeed if it’s isolated in its advancements Derek said, “It’s bigger than just ourselves. If we don’t find solutions to help the rest of the industry, our company and the livelihoods of our employees will be threatened ”

Positioned now as one of the nation’s foremost experts in automation, “DeGeest helps train and show other companies how to do it successfully; not by just giving them a robot and saying ‘good luck,’ but by offering continued support so it works,” he said

Alicia said when companies come looking for help with part production, the answer at DeGeest is “Yes, we can do it for you and let’s take a look at how we can help you do it for yourself by adding robotics or other automation ” She said DeGeest employees are great at communicating, installing, integrating and doing all the things process-wise necessary for another manufacturer to implement robotics and automation .

Derek added, “Around here, we often restate JFK’s quote, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats ’ By helping other manufacturers develop these processes, we’ve became an integrator that uses what we sell If companies in our field succeed, it helps keep manufacturing in the U S ”

Experienced staff play a critical role in programming the welding robots.

Welding a large mower deck at DeGeest in Tea.

Enjoy the bright side.

Better days are ahead. Get ready to breathe a bit easier, stress a lot less and enjoy a carefree connection with our bright tech and even brighter services.

TEA COMPANY CREATES THE ‘BREED STANDARD’ OF DOG KENNELS

By Bob Fitch

“Breed Standard” is a written description of how an ideal specimen of a specific dog breed should look. In the world of performance kennels for dogs, the “Breed Standard,” both nationally and internationally, may just be Ruff Land Kennels, manufactured by Roto Mold, a company based in Tea, South Dakota .

In the past year, both the business community and the pet industry have taken notice of Ruff Land Kennels The U .S Small Business Administration named Ruff Land the 2023 Small Business Exporter of the Year in South Dakota Last year, business publisher Inc recognized the company in its “Inc 5000” list as one of America’s fastest growing private companies Finally, Ruff Land Kennels received a 2022 Pet Innovation Award, an independent competition recognizing the best pet companies, products and services

How does a company develop itself to the equivalent of Breed Standard in a field like dog kennels?

Like many great product introductions, necessity is the mother of invention When recession hit the U .S economy in 2008-09, sales dropped for Doug Sangl and Lyle Van Kalsbeek, owners of Roto Mold Sangl and Van Kalsbeek were experts in custom rotational molding, producing items such as gas tanks, bait boxes, farm feeders, roping steer dummies and deer feeders . Looking to stabilize their market, the business partners decided they needed to manufacture and sell a product of their own

That necessity intersected with the world’s need for a better dog kennel . Talking with some of their fellow

hunters, outdoorsmen and dog lovers, they all agreed no one really liked the standard two-piece kennel which was held together with screws and didn’t have much durability, especially when hunting dogs were the cargo Improving the safety of dogs in transport has always been a guiding principle

MOLDED DESIGN PROVIDES SAFETY

Ruff Land™ kennels feature one-piece roto-molded construction from UV-stabilized polyethylene In rotational molding, a heated mold is filled with a charge or shot weight of material . It is then slowly rotated causing the softened material to disperse and stick to the walls of the mold, forming a hollow part The Ruff Land kennel requires no assembly and no bolt-through ledge (as on two-piece kennels) which saves up to three inches of side space . It makes for a much stronger kennel Because there are no seams, it is also much easier to clean The kennel won’t crack even in extreme subzero weather

According to CEO Alisa Turner, “Doug went to a lot of trade shows and dog shows, bringing samples to display Then the wife of the owner of Cabela’s talked to him That contact proved to be fortuitous ” Sales began to ignite around 2011

Alisa Turner, CEO of Ruff Land Kennels of Tea.

Many of the most famous names in outdoor sports now sell the kennels; veterinarians and trainers recommend them; and sales are made directly to customers through their website The company’s sales footprint extends around the world

When Turner was hired as general manager in 2012, the team consisted of Sangl, Van Kalsbeek and her “When I first started, I was the shipping person, the customer service person, the purchaser and the accounts payable,” she said Since then, the company has expanded multiple times and today has 26 employees . Turner is now a co-owner and the chief executive officer.

PROTECTING DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS

The strength and durability of the kennels have saved the lives of animals and their owners Ruff Land’s onepiece roto-molded construction is extremely strong The walls, top and floor of the kennels have built-in flexibility which absorbs energy during an accident that would otherwise be transferred to the dog The kennel tie downs are designed like the driver retention devices on a race car

GROWING WITH TEA

“Tea is a nice small community It is growing and we’ve grown right along with it,” she said As Ruff Land has expanded, staying in Tea has been the company’s choice When the city annexed the industrial park on its east border, it proved beneficial for the company, which gained municipal utilities, street lights and police presence The rebuild of 271st Street west of I-29 improved access to their facility for both incoming and outgoing shipments and for employees

While the design of Ruff Land Kennels is patented, that hasn’t stopped competitors from trying to catch up . “Everybody’s chasing us constantly. We were first in the market and we’ve developed a loyal customer base We’ve proven ourselves People know us and trust us,”

Turner said

An example of a kennel produced at Ruff Land.

TEA WAS A TINY VILLAGE FOR 100 YEARS

Today’s dynamic city of Tea belies more than 100 years when it was a very small village, known for decades mostly for the famous Tea Steak House

The oldest outpost for white settlers in the Tea area was a post office called Antioch, near today’s intersection of 271st Street and 469th Avenue Named for a settler from Antioch, Illinois, the post office operated from 1877-1890 and sat on the Yankton Trail which ran from Yankton to Fort Sod in Sioux Falls This trail route was established in the late 1850s and ran from the southwest to the northeast corner of what is now Delapre Township. It was first used to carry supplies from the Missouri River to settlers in the Sioux Falls area

As the population increased, so did the use of the old trail In the 1870s, a stagecoach ran on the trail and used the station at Antioch The daily stage started at 4 a m and ended the day at 8 p m Demming and Hurtleff Brothers were proprietors of the line as late as December 1876. Part of the post office building

was later used on the Reuben Reichelt farmhouse The remains of the Reichelt farmstead still stand as shown in the accompanying photographs

South of the Antioch post office site, the village of Tea was started Initially known as Byron, postal authorities later said the name was already in use At a meeting around the pot-bellied stove in Heeren’s and Peter’s General Store, townspeople came up with the name of Tea, a reflection of the German community’s tradition for afternoon tea .

Heeren’s and Peter’s General Store was built in the 1880s before the railroad went through It had groceries, general merchandise, machinery, kerosene, and the like It was a two-story building with a telephone office on the southeast corner of the second floor.

William Heeren opened the first lumberyard where the Legion Hall is now located . Ed Wendt started a blacksmith shop in the late 1880s A livery stable was started in Tea by the Pitts brothers At one time, Tea had a cheese factory run by Charlie Blanche Tea also had a hotel, which included a meat market in the

Before there was Tea, there was a post office and stage stop called Antioch. Remains of that 1870’s site still stand. Photo by Marcus Vasecka.

same building At one time, Tea had three saloons, a pool hall, a paint shop, a harness shop, and Crescent Creamery

The first Tea Public School originated in 1879. There was an enrollment of 11 pupils A two-story schoolhouse was built in Tea in 1904. The first church in the vicinity was built in 1889 southeast of Tea Early churches in the vicinity included Trinity Lutheran Church, which was originally built in LaValley Township in 1889 but moved to Tea in 1897 St Nicholas Catholic Church was organized in 1904 and built a church structure which was completed in 1906 .

The U S Census said the population of Tea was 134 in 1910 The town didn’t exceed 200 people until the 1970 census The number accelerated to 729 in 1980, but stayed flat for the next 10 years The decade of the 1990s is when growth really exploded with the population doubling from 786 to 1,742; and doubled again to 3,806 in 2010. Today’s population exceeds 6,000

Sources

Historical marker placed in 2015 by the Tea Area Historical Society with the assistance of Mary Chilton DAR Foundation • U S Decennial Census

• www teasd com/history-of-tea

TEA COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Aug. 16, 2023

First Day of School, Tea Area School District (TASD)

Sept. 15, 2023

Tea Area High School Homecoming Parade

Oct. 2023 Date TBD

St. Nicholas Trunk or Treat

Nov. 2023 Date TBD

Community Christmas Tree Lighting

Dec. 23, 2023-Jan. 2, 2024

TASD Winter Break

Feb. 19-23, 2024

TASD President’s Day Break

March 29-April 1, 2024

Easter Break

May 16, 2024

TASD Last Day of School

May 18, 2024

Tea Area High School Graduation

June 6-8 2024

Tea Annual Rummage sales

June 12-15, 2024

Tea Pot Days

• Licensed and certified tree pruning and healthcare

• Emerald Ash Borer treatment

• Fertilizer and weed control

• Pond and pest control

COOK Broker/ Owner/ Realtor®

Photo by Marcus Vasecka

TEA CITY PARKS

Located at the corner of Main Avenue and Brian Street

-The Tea City Park features a swimming pool with a waterslide, basketball courts, playground equipment, a picnic shelter, a fishing pond with fountains, access to a bike path, and restrooms. Electricity is available in the shelter area.

Park Bike Path is roughly 3/4 mile which includes the entire path, not just the path around the pond and the large grass area. The public can fish within the Tea City Park Pond. Sixteen picnic tables are located under the shelter to seat roughly 144 people.

PRAIRIE TRAILS PARK

Located at the south end of Poplar Avenue, a picnic shelter is surrounded by playground equipment with an open area for soccer fields. Electricity is not available at the picnic shelter area. A portable restroom is available.

TEA ATHLETIC COMPLEX

Phase 1 of the complex is complete with the addition of two baseball fields and an open space area for soccer and flag football. Phase 2 is completed by adding a restroom facility, concession stand, and picnic shelters. The complex is planned to have multiple t-ball fields, baseball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts, and sand volleyball courts.

HOWLING RIDGE PARK

Tea’s newest park is equipped with tons of fun for all kids. Howling Ridge is located on North Devon Ave. by the white water tower. More improvements to comegrass, trees, benches, etc.

PARK & RECREATION PROGRAMS

PROGRAMS

Spring and Fall Soccer Flag Football

Volleyball Skills Camp Hunt Safe

Softball and Baseball T-Ball

Youth Basketball K-1 Adult Coed Volleyball

Adult Basketball League Adult Pickleball League

SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAM

Offered for children from Pre-K through 5th grade. The program runs 9-11 a.m., Monday through Friday in the month of June. Activities are held in the Tea Community Hall at 200 W. Maple Street.

The Tea Summer Recreation Program is designed to provide children with activities to stimulate the mind and body. Children are divided into small groups, which rotate to three areas each morning. Children enjoy making creative arts and craft projects, playing organized games and activities, and investigating special topics chosen by each age group.

20 YEARS OF TITAN PRIDE!

By Dr. Jennifer Nebelsick Lowery, Superintendent Tea Area School District

Welcome to being a part of Titan Pride! The Tea Area School District was established through a community’s labor of love in July 2003 Twenty years later the district has quadrupled in size to nearly 2,400 students, three elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school .

We are known for our innovation and perseverance

Our academics are strong with a junior kindergarten through high school STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) curriculum and 6th12th grade career pathways . Our schools are purposedriven as we strive to live out our mission to Educate & Empower Titan classrooms focus on student goals grounded in identifying what success looks like for each student as a learner Academics are supported by our award-winning arts programs and statechampion athletics

We celebrate people who live out our values: Teamwork, Innovation, Communication, and

Accountability Twenty years ago, the community came together to build Tea Area and, 20 years later, the community continues to support and build the legacy of the Tea Area School District We are grateful to partner with our community and look forward to opening our high school expansion project in the fall of 2024 Together, we are defining Titan Pride.

TEA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

5% Annual Average Growth

54% of growth is due to the incoming kindergarten class

Kindergarten, 2nd grade and 6th grade are growth years.

900 more projected students in the next five years

Dr. Jennifer Nebelsick Lowery, Superintendent

Artist’s rendering of Tea Area High School after expansion is completed.

James Hofer, Owner/ Founder

Photo by Marcus Vasecka

Pictured left to right: Janelle Boots, Dr Jarrell Freitag, Deb Miller

ADVERTISING & MEDIA

1Take CreativeStudios

27171 Linda ave #2, Sioux Falls 605-759-1854

AGE Media Sioux Falls 515-231-9367 agemedia.pub

Downtown Design - Web & SEO

Tea 763-401-4141 downtowndesignweb.com

OCTANE INK LLC 800 E Prescott St, Tea 605-213-8343 octaneinkllc.com

Sunny Radio (93.3fm & am1520) 5013 S. Louise Avenue, 228, Sioux Falls 605-933-1980 SunnyRadio.com

Tea Storm Chasers PO Box10, Tea 605-670-7797 teastormchasers.org

Tea Weekly 140 North Carla Ave., Suite D, Tea 605-213-0049 teaweekly.com

DIRECTORY

CHAMBER MEMBERS AND TEA AREA BUYER’S GUIDE

These listings are based on the members-in-good-standing list at the Tea Chamber for Development. To ensure your company is listed next year, become a member of the Tea Chamber!

Buy locally! Remember local businesses invest in the community by supporting sports teams, school, youth and church activities.

Sales taxes generated in Tea are investments in creating and maintaining the high quality infrastructure.

ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Char’s Crafts & Creations 230 North James Avenue, Tea 605-941-1248

Ideal Tent & Event Rentals 2100 Venture Street, Tea 605-213-0181 idealtentandevents.com

Jer Events 2101 Industrial St, Tea 605-368-1647 ext. 3 jerevents.com

AUTOMOTIVE & MARINE

Freedom Mobile Detailing 408 N Main Ave, Hartford 605-951-0751

Glass Doctor 2420 N Bakker Landing Ave, Tea 605-360-8508 glassdoctor.com/sioux-falls

I29 RV Supercenter 2415 N Bakker Landing Ave, Tea 605-305-4678 i29rv.com

J & M Transmission and Auto Service 46947 100th St., Tea 605-368-2050 jmtransmissionservice.com

BUILDING TRADES / CONSTRUCTION, DESIGN OR ARCHITECTURE

Backhaus Excavation and Underground LLC 330 E Alberta Trail, Tea 605-759-1931

City Wide Insulation 2325 E Mary Moore Circle, Tea 605-359-5778 citywideinsul.com

Design Crete Inc. PO Box 89734, Sioux Falls 605-990-3400 designcreteinc.com

EAPC Architects Engineers 101 N Phillips Ave #300, Sioux Falls 605-444-1600 www.eapc.net

GA Johnson Construction, Inc 27153 SD Hwy 115 #101, Harrisburg 605-361-8800 gajci.com

Herman Otten Construction INC. P.O. Box 325, Tea 605-941-1770 ottenconstruction.com

NorthStar Homes 27207 472nd Ave, Sioux Falls 605-574-1172

Sunbelt Rentals, Inc. 27134 S. Parklane Dr., Sioux Falls 605-221-0322

sunbeltrentals.com/location

Zobel Carpentry LLC 940 North James Avenue, Tea 605-777-9971

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Digit-All 27087 Morton Ct, Sioux Falls 605-231-9000 teamdigitall.com

Fresh Talent

300 Haley Place, Tea 605-360-2494 findfreshtalent.com

HDR Engineering, Inc. 101 S Phillips Ave #401, Sioux Falls 605-977-7740 hdrinc.com

High End Detail LLC 8009 W 42nd St, Sioux Falls 507-360-7716 Highenddetail.us

Murphy Business Sales 2121 W 63rd Pl, Sioux Falls 605-951-9555 murphybusiness.com/siouxfalls

O’Riley Custom Detailing 27178 Linda Ave #4, Tea 605-651-9947

Prairie View Event Hall 27091 Kerslake Place, Tea 605-408-6514 prairievieweventhall.com

SpotOn

720 W. 5th St., Tea spoton.com

United States Postal Service 502 Figzel Ct, Suite A, Tea 605-368-2871 usps.com

CHILD CARE

Super Titans Childcare Center 725 E Kevin Dr, Tea 605-498-1505 supertitanschildcare.com

CHURCHES / RELIGIOUS

At the Table Church 2010 Venture St #1, Sioux Falls 605-759-8182 www.atthetablechurch.com

Embrace Church 720 Figzel Ct, Tea 605-213-3333 iamembrace.com/tea

Trinity Lutheran Church 335 W 1st St, Tea 605-498-2343 teatrinity.org

CLEANING SERVICES

Mustang Disaster CleanUp 27283 SD-115, Harrisburg 605-553-3230 mustangdisastercleanup.com

Reemtsma Window Washers PO Box 222, Tea 605-351-5675

SERVPRO

27062 Katie Rd, Suite A, Tea 605-213-3303

servpro.com/locations/sd/servpro-of-westsioux-falls-and-servpro-of-east-sioux-falls

COMPUTERS & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Big D Technology Solutions, Inc. 5013 S Louise Ave #313, Sioux Falls 605-271-9885

bigdtechnology.com

Bluepeak 5100 S. Broadband Lane, Sioux Falls 888-745-2888

mybluepeak.com

Midco 3901 N Louise Ave, Sioux Falls 800-888-1300 midco.com

Quality Telecommunications 27085 Katie Road, Tea 605-371-5475 triviewquality.com

EDUCATION

locations.sylvanlearning.com/us/sioux-falls-sd

www.teasd.com

FAMILY/CHILDREN ACTIVITIES OR ENTERTAINMENT

Tea Play Place LLC

910 N Main Ave #105, Tea 224-805-0153 TeaPlayPlace.com

FINANCE / INSURANCE, INVESTMENT, MORTGAGE OR BANKING

Aflac

1919 W 57th St Suite 101, Sioux Falls 605-376-4784 Aflac.com

Ascend Financial, Inc. 1601 E 9th St #200, Sioux Falls 605-553-9620 ascendfinancial.com

Black Hills FCU 5313 East Big Horn Drive, Sioux Falls 605-718-1818 bhfcu.com

DFS Insurance 730 E 1st St, Tea 605-689-0483 dfsins.com

Edward Jones Investments, Casey Jorgensen 900 N Main Ave #102, Tea 605-743-8242 edwardjones.com

Edward Jones Investments, Quinn Jorgensen 2101 W. 41st St. #22, Sioux Falls 605-330-0067 edwardjones.com

Explorers Credit Union 730 East 1st St, Tea 605-213-0264 explorerscu.com

Fischer Rounds and Associates Tea 605-336-4444 fischerrounds.com

Keystone Mortgage 421 West 18th St, Sioux Falls 605-695-6347 keystoneassociates.biz

Reliabank

720 E Kevin Dr, Tea 605-498-3683 reliabank.com

Sabers Insurance, LLC 615 E Brian St Ste C, Tea 605-213-3040

Security National Bank of South Dakota 6601 S Louise Ave, Sioux Falls 605-977-9000 snbsd.com

Variable Investment Advisors, Inc. 750 East 1st Street, Tea 800-859-3018 viabd.com

Workplace Marketing Insurance Advisors 3220 West 57th, Suite 110, Sioux Falls 605-274-6653 workplacemarketing.com

GAS STATION / CONVENIENCE STORE

Get-N-Go

815 N Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-498-1766 getngo.com

HEALTH CARE

Koele Family Chiropractic 710 E. 1st Street, Tea 605-498-2273

Neighborhood Dental 605 E Brian St, Tea 605-498-5907

neighborhooddentalcare.com/main/ locations/tea-sd-cr

Prairie Rehabilitation-Tea 725 Kevin Dr., Tea 605-334-5630 prairierehab.com

Tea Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

725 E Figzel Ct #104, Tea 605-498-5100

teachiropractic.com

The Tea Tree LLC 115 Lipton St, Suite C, Tea 605-213-0194 theteatree.org

Vision Care Associates 725 Figzel Ct Ste 101, Tea 605-498-0427

visioncareassociates.net/locations/tea

Elizabeth “Libby” Benson, Au.D., CCC-A, FAAA

HEALTH INSURANCE

McGreevy & Associates

4808 S. Technopolis Dr Suite 2, Sioux Falls 605-332-4111 mcgreevyassoc.com

HOME & GARDEN

Ace Hardware

701 Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-213-2000

acehardware.com/store-details/15378

Bensons Lawn & Landscaping 4416 w 93rd St, Sioux Falls 605-929-7668 bensonslawnandlandscaping.com

INTERIOR DESIGN

Omorfia Designs Inc 2010 Venture St, Suite 1, Tea 605-223-0193 omorfiadesignsinc.com

LEGAL / TAX REPRESENTATION

Innovative Accounting and Tax, LLC

320 Hagemeyer Dr, Tea 605-610-5725 innovativeaccountingandtax.com

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

American Legion Post 266 245 South Main Ave, Tea 605-368-5135 Teaamericanlegion.com

Sioux Metro Growth Alliance Sioux Falls 605-679-7149 siouxmetro.com

Lewis & Clark Regional Water System 46986 Monty St, Tea 605-368-2400 lcrws.org

PERSONAL SERVICES & CARE

Red Arbor Tattoo 315 N Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-408-0837 redarbortattoo.com

Rising Hope Counseling, LLC 317 N Heritage Pkwy, Tea 605-494-1500 risinghope605.com

Truth & Grace Counseling 125 W 1st St, Tea 605-777-1898 truthgracecounseling.com

PETS & VETERINARY

Claws n’ Paws Pet SitterZ 318 W 3rd St, Tea 605-350-7197

Paws and Reflect Pet Grooming 135 S Main Ave, Tea 605-274-1974

Smoken Dakota Kennels (SDK) 46573 269th Street, Sioux Falls 605-254-1337 smokendakotakennels.com

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Erin Biwer - Discovery Real Estate Co.Keller Williams Realty PO Box 295, Tea 605-553-4371 erin.discoversiouxfalls.com

EXIT Realty Sioux Empire 405 E. Brian Street, Suite 1, Tea 605-498-3200

exitsiouxempire.com

Legacy LDRSHIP, LLC 795 E Kevin Dr, Tea 605-453-0006 legacyldrship.com

Mike Stephenson- AmeriStar Real Estate 5900 S Western Ave #200, Sioux Falls 605-651-2716 homesnap.com/Mike-Stephenson/gmb

RESTAURANTS, FOOD & BEVERAGE

Big J’s Roadhouse BBq and grill Harrisburg PO box 428, Harrisburg 605-767-8000 bigjsroadhousebbq.com

Boss’ Pizzeria 215 S. Main St., Tea 605-799-2677

bosspizzaandchicken.com

Central Dakota Perk 306 E. 1st Street, Tea 605-840-9687

centraldakotaperk.com

Curbside Delights

2601 N. Career Ave #279, Sioux Falls 605-310-0958

Fareway Meat and Grocery

720 E 1st Street, Tea 605-498-0331 fareway.com/stores/store/190/ ad/weekly

Pizza Ranch

801 E Brian St., Tea 605-368-5588 pizzaranch.com

Rev Up Nutrition 100 S Main Ave, Tea

Sky Lounge

200 N Main Ave, Tea 605-498-0330

skyloungetea.com

Squealers Smoke Shack Bar & Grill

840 Gateway Lane, Tea 605-679-7675

squealerssmokeshack.com

ZOOKS Coffee Bar

815 Gateway Lane, Suite 1, Tea 605-213-1110

zookscoffeebar.com

SHOPPING & SPECIALTY RETAIL

Bella & Birch Boutique

900 N Main Ave #101 (as of 8-1-23), Tea 605-368-1696

thebellaandbirch.com

Revive Boutique 615 E Brian St, Suite B, Tea 605-213-0086 shopreviveboutique.com

SPORTS & RECREATION

Climberz 1207 N Carla Ave, Tea 605-929-4492

sdclimberz.com

CrossFit 605 2612 S Keyrell Dr, Sioux Falls 605-681-6432 cf605.com

Fastpitch World Sioux Falls 605-201-6611

UTILITIES

NorthWestern Energy Sioux Falls 800-245-6977 northwesternenergy.com

RBS Sanitation 46914 Austin St., Tea 605-213-0138 rbssanitation.com

Roos Sanitation

P.O. Box 182, Tea 605-498-1588 roossanitation.com

Xcel Energy 1401 S Hyde Park, Sioux Falls 800-895-4999 xcelenergy.com

Walking dogs along a pond in Tea.

Photo by Don McCleer.

DEGEEST A STRONGER STANDARD STEEL WORKS FINISHING AUTOMATION