Business owners and spouses Bob and Jenna Harris moved from San Diego, California, to Sioux Falls in the summer of 2022 in search of open spaces, a community where they could put down roots and a slower pace of life.

The pair recently became the new owners of the Sioux Falls area The Brothers that just do Gutters location, a national, five-star gutter installation, repair and cleaning contractor, within the last couple of months. And they’re expanding their clientele will also reach Brandon, Harrisburg and Tea.

For the Harris couple, along with their two daughters Evelyn and Audrey and two senior dogs, Sioux Falls proved to be a perfect fit with its welcoming atmosphere, beautiful park system and strong sense of community, they said.

Sioux Falls aligned more with their family values

Having grown up in Oregon, Bob and Jenna Harris are high school sweethearts. Bob Harris joined the Marine Corps after graduating. A year and a half later, the couple married and moved to Twentynine Palms, California, where Bob was stationed.

After one tour in Afghanistan in 2009, Bob Harris was medically retired from the military in 2011. The couple then remained in Southern California to raise their two kids near family.

Between 2016 and 2017, the Harris couple decided that the traffic, cost of living, culture and general feel of Southern California wasn’t working for them with their two young daughters.

“We always kind of knew California was a temporary home for us,” Jenna Harris said. “In fact, we stayed a lot longer than we expected.”

So in 2020, they started scouring the country for a new place to call home.

“We wanted somewhere that was more aligned with our values and lifestyle we had growing up in Oregon,” Jenna Harris said.

Initially considering a warmer climate, the Harris family found Sioux Falls through another couple who moved there. The extreme cold weather made them hesitate at first.

They then made the trip to see for themselves and talk with residents.

“We just asked, ‘Why do you live here? Why do you like it here?’” Bob Harris said. “The response every time was that it gives you a sense of community.”

After touring the city, the couple said they quickly realized that severe weather conditions were a small price to pay for everything else Sioux Falls and its residents had to offer.

“Something about Sioux Falls spoke to me,” Jenna Harris said. “Everyone was so friendly, and it’s beautiful.”

More: Sioux Falls’ Down Home Fab announces Season 2, storefront opening

Sioux Falls has offered educational growth, business opportunities

Now, Bob and Jenna Harris are not only residents of Sioux Falls, but active participants in its growth and prosperity.

Story continues

“It’s a community that has strong values of caring for your neighbor, but also being independent and resilient. And it just resonated with us,” Jenna Harris said. “People were so friendly when we first came.”

Jenna Harris went back to school to earn her MBA at the University of Sioux Falls, and graduated in May last year.

“Our daughter was 6 months old at our graduation to obtain our bachelor’s degrees,” Jenna Harris said. “I never thought I’d be able to get my graduate degree while my children were still young. But moving to Sioux Falls provided the opportunity to slow down a bit and reprioritize.”

Bob and Jenna Harris both wanted to run their own business, which initially, began with an idea for a craft distillery.

For Bob, this was his passion and Jenna said she loved “the business puzzle of it.” The couple then came to the realization at their stage in life, raising two young children and not having any family nearby to help, this project would have to wait.

“It’s still on the horizon,” Jenna Harris said. “I just don’t know if we’re two years out or eight years out. But it’s it’s going to happen at some point.”

She said she can see opportunities for collaborations and cross-promotions and eventually helping elevate the whole craft beverage scene. In the meantime, the couple then began to research other franchise models, something they had experience with in the past but they wanted to think bigger.

After considering about a dozen different options, the Harris’ chose to become owners of The Brothers that just do Gutters in Sioux Falls.

It’s about ‘reinventing contractor service’

The decision came down to the company’s values of supporting other franchisees and its focus on safety. For Bob Harris, a disabled U.S. Marine Corps veteran, the emphasis on safety was particularly significant.

With his background in managing large-scale industrial plants and time serving in the military, Bob Harris brought a unique perspective and a wealth of knowledge to the gutter contractor business, he said. His focus on employee safety, staff development and operational efficiency helps ensure The Brothers that just do Gutters maintains the highest standards of quality, professionalism and employee well-being, he said.

Installation specialists Luke Hoffer and Maddox Hanson can attest to the quality work and positive work environment.

“With Bob as the boss especially, you feel heard and seen and feel like what you say actually gets taken into account, and that our opinion not just matters, but actually helps the job,” Hoffer said.

“Bob’s family is a part of this, and we’ve all become a very tight-knit group,” Hanson added.

Jenna Harris also emphasized how critical good customer service is with their business.

“Our goal is to really live the value of reinventing contractor service,” Jenna Harris said.

The couple said they’ve had several people ask if The Brothers that just do Gutters will actually show up for the job, citing others who leave them hanging.

“I think that’s priority No. 1, is in everything we do, be that high-quality service and keep open lines of communications with our customers,” Jenna Harris said.

Jenna Harris said she and her husband are hands-on when it comes to the business. Jenna Harris handles networking with the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce and Homebuilders Association, as well as some office and finance work.

Bob Harris, she said, is in the shop with the team every day, doing installations, sales calls and performing estimates.

Constructive and unifying

The Sioux Falls Brothers that just do Gutters held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in mid-March, a milestone for the Harris family and the Sioux Falls community. Mayor Paul TenHaken and other community leaders joined them to celebrate the opening of their franchise, emphasizing the impact their business will have on the economy and job market.

“We’re grateful for the support we’ve received since moving to Sioux Falls two years ago, and this event allowed us to express our appreciation to those who have been instrumental in our journey,” Jenna Harris said.

Her involvement in the Sioux Falls community goes beyond owning a business. She also serves as a policy advisor for the City of Sioux Falls, leveraging her background in public policy to contribute to the community’s growth and development.

“The political climate here is constructive and unifying,” she said. “It’s people from all walks of life who want to make this community better, and I am incredibly glad I took this position.”

The pair actively participate in area events and organizations as part of their community engagement.

“We want to give back to our community by helping provide good jobs and quality services and give back to the community once we start hitting our break-even point. We’d love to sponsor sports teams,” Jenna Harris said, having already sponsored Kid’s Night at the Stampede game in April.

Their two girls are also involved in extracurricular activities, including Brandon Valley Youth Softball.

When it comes to the outdoors, the family says they have learned to appreciate the change of seasons and to take advantage of nicer days by hiking at Arrowhead Park, Big Sioux Rec Area and Good Earth State Park, biking, picnics and attending concerts at the Levitt at the Falls.

“It’s just amazing how we can drive 8 minutes and have so much open space,” Jenna Harris said.

More: Places to take your kids this summer in Sioux Falls for some family fun — indoors

Moving across the country from sunny Southern California to Sioux Falls was a significant change of scenery, but Bob and Jenna Harris said they wouldn’t have it any other way.

More: ‘It’s about the people’: Sioux Falls thrift store owners say they’re seeing a resurgence

“It’s about family and you can get to know people in the community,” Bob Harris said. “And I think that was big for us to be able to be part of a community that’s growing and that we can be a part of.”

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Meet the new owners of Sioux Falls’ Brothers that just do Gutters