First published in the Thursday, March 31 edition of The Arnold Sentinel: What would happen to the large Sandhills Motors showroom after the business moved to Broken Bow? This was a question on many residents’ minds for months, as the building stood empty. On Saturday, March 26, the question was answered, as new owners April and Andrew Tickle held an open house, unveiling their new floor plan for the building that will house Touch of Grace Massage Therapy and Spa and a new business, Oakbrook Physical Therapy, owned by Josh and Molly Magill. Some 200 residents turned out to see the changes that have been made and to congratulate the new owners.
Andrew and April signed the paperwork to purchase the property (also known as the old Spargos building) on December 10, 2021. April’s vision for the building was that it would have an open floor plan to work with. After signing the purchase agreement, April talked to a few people about coming on board to help share and fill the space for services she felt Arnold could benefit from.
Josh Magill said he would give it a try and bring physical therapy to town. With that, the open space was split off into the number of rooms needed. Plans were drawn up and product was ordered. Cleaning out the building began the weekend they took ownership, and it’s been a big undertaking.
“There was a lot more left in the building than the eye could see when we walked through it. Just emptying the space so we could get it ready was a lot. With lots of all-nighter’s and help from friends and family, we set the date for our open house,” said April.
Six rooms were built in the large open space and the three existing office spaces were left untouched. There is a spacious waiting room, front foyer/entry, PT gym, three treatment rooms, two office spaces, a massage room, wellness room, and sauna and spa room. The building has a full basement that was cleaned out and is at this time being used for storage. There is also a mezzanine that will be storage above the offices and a yoga health room. There is also a large break room, separate storage room and back entry room. The cool old elevator will still be there for the aesthetics of the building.
“When we purchased this building and took our family in to show them, they said, ‘It feels like a palace. It just keeps going and going!” said April.
From the moment April first wanted to do massage, her dream was to work in a full spa setting. When she graduated massage school in 2010 and opened her business, Touch of Grace Massage Therapy and Spa, in Arnold, she hoped to build in the years to come. She started renting two rooms at Hotel Custer and waited to see where she and husband Andrew would go from there. She thanks Andrew for making her dream come true and his willingness to put in the work.
“I think this has been more of his vision for me and my business than it has mine,” she said. “He has been wanting to do this for me for a long time and here we are. He has done 90 percent of the work in this building to get us up and rolling. He has put in lots of late nights, weekends, and all-nighters in the last three months. But it was all worth it in the end.”
“We love Arnold and want to see it grow, so buying this beautiful, historic building with many stories in the walls is our way of bettering our community and growing my business!”
Magills Open Oakbrook Physical Therapy Clinic In Tickle Building
When April Tickle approached Josh Magill about starting a physical therapy clinic in Arnold in her new building, he thought it was the opportunity of a lifetime. He had always thought about starting a clinic in Arnold; however, things just did not align to do so, until now… On March 26, Oakbrook Physical Therapy’s new clinic was unveiled as part of Andrew and April Tickle’s open house for their new building that houses Touch of Grace Massage Therapy and Spa.
“Josh grew up in Arnold and loves to call Arnold his home. We also believe that Arnold is a great place to raise our children. Josh has been commuting to work for the past six years; however, he has always had a goal of being able to work in Arnold. This opportunity has made that goal one step closer for us,” said his wife Molly.
Josh graduated from A.H.S. in 2004; attended Chadron State College (RHOP Physical Therapy Track), earning a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology in 2007; and went on to receive his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 2010. Since graduating from UNMC, he has worked in rural physical therapy settings including hospital, outpatient clinics and skilled nursing facilities. He has worked in clinics in Broken Bow, Burwell, and North Platte.
Molly, graduated from Cedar Rapids Public School in 2009, received her Associate of Arts degree in 2012 from Central Community College in Columbus in 2012, and her Associate of Applied Science-Physical Therapist Assistant in 2014. It’s the perfect match to start a clinic. Molly has currently been a stay-at-home mom to the couple’s two children, Barrett (3) and Jayden (1), but is excited to get back into the PTA role.
“Molly is maybe the most important part of this operation,” said Josh. “People tend to think that they are only getting one therapist in this business, but in reality, they are getting two therapists. Molly is a licensed physical therapist assistant and we will have two people in the clinic who can provide treatment to the patients. Other than that, we will both have to fill all the roles in the clinic, from receptionist to janitorial.”
The couple started out with basically nothing for equipment for their new clinic and had to purchase it all. They have put a lot of thought and effort into purchasing the right combination of equipment while keeping costs under control, with a lot of searching on Facebook marketplace. Their family has been helpful, traveling many miles to pick up therapy tables and chairs.
To begin, they will be open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 to 5:00 p.m., with possible special scheduling dates upon request. If the need for physical therapy services in Arnold grows and requires more time, the Magills plan to open more days of the week in the future. Josh and Molly said they feel the town will be supportive.
“When starting a business like this in a small town, there is always concern for how much service will actually be needed; this is why we have decided to only open two days a week to begin with. That way, we can assess that need before jumping in full speed,” said the Magills.
Josh and Molly have had a lot of positive feedback from people who have learned about the clinic coming to town. They hope that it can offer an option for people to have affordable services right here in town without having to travel and take so much time out of the school and work day. An important element of the clinic is that it is cash based, at least to start. They are looking at adding Medicare coverage in the future. With the rise in cost of health care and declining reimbursements, they feel there has probably never been a better time to open a cash-based clinic.
“The efficiencies and savings that can be achieved through a cash-based clinic is something that we believe Arnold would benefit from greatly, especially the younger generation who have challenges of high deductibles and possible poor insurance coverage,” they said.
