Kentwood, Michigan
We can show you how to turn your yard into a birdfeeding habitat that brings song, color and life to your home.

WBU is 30 Years Old!

Wild Birds Unlimited opened its first retail store in Indianapolis, IN on January 28, 1981! That fist store was opened by Jim Carpenter, the founder, president and CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited. Jim combined his desire for personal business independence with his appreciation of nature, resulting in the concept of a store specializing in supplies and gifts for one of America's fastest growing hobbies-backyard bird watching and feeding.  Jim had begun to establish a good working relationship with one of his major suppliers, Dick Schinkel, the owner of Ol' Sam Peabody. In 1982, Jim and Dick began to discuss the idea of franchising the concept of a Wild Birds Unlimited store.  By October of 1982, Dick and a partner opened up the first shop in Okemos, Michigan under the temporary name of Wild Birds.  Other stores soon followed and by August of 1986, Jim had expanded his store and the franchise system had grown to 12 stores. By the spring of 1987, Jim's wife Nancy joined forces with him to help run the ever-growing business.  Her background as a naturalist and a teacher were perfect for WBU.  For the next couple of years, Jim and Nancy were in charge of running the franchise system from the home office in Indianapolis while Dick assisted in some store visits, franchise communications and arranging seed deals in the Midwest.  By the summer of 1988 the franchise system had grown to 29 stores.  It was becoming more and more obvious that servicing the franchisees and selling new territories would require more staff.  As Wild Birds Unlimited, was growing, so too was Ol' Sam Peabody.  Dick felt he needed to devote more time to his growing wholesale business. In January of 1989, Dick sold his portion of Wild Birds Unlimited to Jim.  Another milestone for our company was the expansion into Canada.  In the fall of 1989, John and Wendy Morton of Vancouver, BC, opened up the first store in Canada.  We became an international franchise! Due to trademark laws, all Canadian stores were originally known as Wild Birds Nature Shops.  Today, there are almost 275 stores across North America bringing people and nature together.

We customize product recommendations to match the needs of local birds and teach customers how to place their feeders for maximum enjoyment in their yards. From that original 700 sq. foot store opened 30 years ago to the current 4800sq. foot store in Indianapolis and including every other size store in our system, our owners and store staffs have been providing inspiring shopping experiences in a way that has built our company and created long-term relationships with our customers.  The longevity of Wild Birds Unlimited is important to customers.  They like to be associated with a company with both expertise and know-how.  Jim Carpenter states, "You are a part of a company that is bringing 30 years of experience to your local customers.  Every store is a part of and a contributor to our company's success story.  I'm very proud and appreciative of all of you who have helped us accomplish this milestone."