Built to Last
Newbury Carriage Strives for Quality Carriages & Satisfied Customers Writer / Lois Tomaszewski Photographer / Timothy Hare
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cquiring a new buggy is an expensive purchase for many families. It is important that the buggy they buy will last for years, if not decades, before a new one is needed. Nate and Sara Miller, the owners of Newbury Carriage in Topeka, understand this and do all they can to make sure the buggies they build are properly engineered and assembled. They also build each carriage to each customer’s needs. “In the end, you spend a lot on a buggy,” says Nate Miller. “It should be like you want it to be.” Miller meets in person with customers at his shop, where there are usually three buggies being built in various stages. That way the customer can see how the buggies come together and see first-hand the options that are available with each order. Most buggies are built to order but the Millers offer new and used buggies through a second business, Green Meadow Buggy Sales, which started in 2014. Trading in a used buggy for a new one is a common occurrence. The Millers prefer to operate their carriage business focusing on the quality of the buggies they build. Although a short turnaround time for a new carriage order is nice, it is more important to build a carriage that will stand the test of long-term use. It all starts with the running gear. Miller and his crew prep the running gear “rigorously,” he says. Everything is cleaned before the running gear is sanded and then primed with epoxy and urethane paint. Finally, the
TheLakesMagazine.com / NOVEMBER 2020 / THE LAKES / 15
