A Jefferson-based business not only has a new look, but has also hired an important new employee.

The Jefferson Veterinary Clinic has been at its new location along Gallup Road in the Greene County Development Corporation East Business Park since the last week of December. Owner Dr. Mark Peters says the transition was smooth and only took three days. The new facility includes two exam rooms, a pharmacy area, a treatment room, a separate surgery room, a cat room with five kennels, a dog room with three big runs and eight cages, a laundry room, a lab, and an x-ray room.

In the old building on Wilson Avenue, one room contained the treatment, x-ray and lab, which Dr. Peters says created inefficiencies. Another advantage to the new facility is having livestock equipment on site, whereas the old operation meant Dr. Peters had to travel across town to treat anyone with livestock. He talks about the feedback and overall experience of being in the new building.

“It’s been really good. People have been really receptive to the new facility and our efficiencies have really grown. So people when they come in they’ll see that there’s a nice flow to the clinic and things go very well.”

A new veterinarian started earlier this month with Dr. Amy Colour from Lexington, Nebraska. Dr. Peters says he’s happy with his new hire, but it took him about two years before he found a qualified individual.

“The problem in rural Iowa and rural America is that you don’t find a lot of veterinarians coming out of school that want to do what we do as far as the cows (and) being on-call. So I was happy to have her, actually her brother contacted me and asked me to see if I was still looking. And I was excited to have her come and interview and it’s worked out very well.”

An public open house is scheduled for March 30th from 11am to 3pm with free refreshments provided.