It all started with a truck.
That’s how the entrepreneurial spirit was ignited for Ron and Eunice Hackenberger.
“In the 1960s, Mom and Dad started out with one truck, a can-do spirit, and a whole lot of determination,” says Ranae Alexander, one of Ron and Eunice’s six daughters. “Through many years of blood, sweat and tears, they had a thriving trucking company of 100 trucks.”
Growing up, the six sisters watched and emulated their parents' hard work.
“We all grew up with the family business,” Alexander continues. “As little girls we would pretend to answer the phone, ‘Ron's Trucking Service, where your dollar hauls more. How can we help you?’ Just like we heard our mom answer all day, every day.”
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Kevin LeeThe interior of Millsite LodgeOr we'd help our daddy change the oil in the trucks in the evening after he had been hauling stone all day. Or hold the flashlight for him while he was fixing a truck. Dad said I was the best flashlight holder,” she laughs. “The other girls talked too much and didn't keep the light still.”
The Hackenbergers’ desire to instill that strong work ethic in their daughters continued into the 1980s when the couple purchased a farm in Fitchville, Ohio.
“They wanted to teach their girls how to manage a business and so it became
Indian Trail Campground,” Alexander continues. “Office work, mowing the grass, customer relations were all assigned to each daughter.”
That business continues to thrive today, as Alexander’s sister, Eve Cross, and her husband now manage the campground.
The Hackenbergers then invested in
The Colonnade, a banquet hall in Avery near the Ohio Turnpike, in early 2000. This became ”another adventure for Mom and Dad,” with Alexander’s sister, Beth Ackerman, taking on the managerial role. The Colonnade served the Sandusky area for more than 20 years with an array of banquet needs, from serving delicious food to providing a personalized touch for brides and other special occasions.
As the family continued to grow, so did the Hackenbergers’ investments.
In 2017, the Hackenbergers purchased an 1880s family farm known as
Millsite Lodge. The lodge was converted into a corporate retreat in the 1950s, but Beth had other ideas for the property.
“Beth had the vision to turn MIllsite into a weekend wedding venue with an English garden vibe,” Alexander says.
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Kevin LeeAn artist's rendering of the 300-year-old oak tree that gives The Oak at Millsite Farm its name is part of the business's logo.Millsite boasts lodging for up to 28 guests, a ceremony lawn, and a pavilion that hosts up to 300 people. The Colonnade caters Millsite events, making the lodge a full-service wedding venue. Alexander serves as the executive director at Millsite Lodge, which also hosts special events, retreats, tourists, family reunions, and corporate meetings. Alexander’s sister, Carla Hackenberger, acts as grounds supervisor at Millsite Lodge and back of the house for catering.
In order to make it happen, the Hackenberger family once again came together.
“Family is central to the business,” Alexander says. “Dad helped put in the bridges. Mom is out tending to the gardens. Nieces and nephews serve the guests.”
Millsite Lodge became such a success that the Hackenbergers decided to purchase property less than a mile from Millsite to establish another option for brides looking for a more rustic feel for their big day.
So, in 2020, youngest sister, Jewel Young, returned to the area to helm the Hackenbergers’ newest venture,
The Oak at Millsite Farm. Jewel and husband, Tim had been living in Snohomish, Wash., where Tim pastored a church.
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Courtesy of Ranae AlexanderThe Hackenberger family on their most recent "Mom, Dad, and Sisters" trip to Florida last spring. Front: Eunice Hackenberger, Carla Hackenberger, Jewel Young. Back: Eve Cross, Lisa Cowman, Ranae Alexander, Ron Hackenberger, Beth Ackerman“Our parents are 84 and 89, and they wanted to be close to Mom and Dad as they will soon be retiring,” Alexander explains.
The Oak at Millsite Farm offers weekend lodging for nine guests, a ceremony under the site’s 300-year-old oak tree, and a reception in the fully restored 1880s-era barn. As an added bonus, the farm’s family bernedoodle, Ozzie, may welcome you to the venue with a snuggle.
“Since we are a weekend venue, guests are able to spend time with their closest family and friends,” Alexander says. “Then bring in the full party on Saturday evening. It gives the bride's family and the groom's family a chance to get to know each other, in a more casual setting. Many times we hear, ‘This feels like a Hallmark movie!’”
One such bride is Talia, who was married at one of the Sandusky-based properties in August.
“We got married at the lodge this past August and it was pure magic,” Talia writes. “The place is like a fairytale–charming, cozy, and downright gorgeous.”
Stories like Talia’s are what keep the team – about 20 in total at Millsite Lodge, The Oak at Millsite Farm, and The Colonnade–going.
And having the chance to work with family every day doesn’t hurt, either.
“It truly is a joy working with our family–most days,” Alexander laughs. “Of course, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. But, through it all, we are a family, and family trumps business.”