The Sawmill Inn Has New Owners

Daisy and Ryan Ruberg purchased The Sawmill Inn located at 809 East Cedar Street in Houston, Minn., on June 25, 2024. They had been looking for a more flexible work option for Daisy after their son Rushton was born in February. Daisy had previously worked as a tax consultant in the corporate office of Ashley Furniture. The motel, which was originally built in 2005 by John and Eileen Loken, offered that flexible schedule for Daisy. 

While the Rubergs had no previous experience in running a motel, they did have experience dealing with longer term rental houses and running a mobile home park as well as business experience running car washes in both Rushford and Caledonia. 

Ryan and Daisy both have ties to the area. Ryan grew up west of Rushford and graduated from R-P; Daisy is from the Winona area and graduated from Winona Senior High. They now live in a rural Winona home formerly owned by Daisy’s grandfather; Daisy’s parents live nearby, and her mom provides childcare for Rushton as needed. 

After purchasing Sawmill, the Rubergs have made some changes, most notably in the check-in process at the motel. Guests can check in using either their own cell phone or a house phone in the lobby. Instead of getting a key to their room, they are given their own personal PIN number which works on both the interior and exterior doors of their room. If guests have trouble with the check in and PIN process, Daisy can also remotely unlock the doors from her computer for them.  

Reservations can be made directly on the motel website, www.the-sawmill-inn.com/ or by phone. The Sawmill Inn is also on both Facebook and Instagram.

Daisy is able to take reservations, greet guests and check them in from her computer and phone at home. Guests are given access to an area with self-serve extra supplies; this area is restocked on a regular basis by the inn’s cleaners. The motel has four employees who take care of daily room cleaning and laundry. 

At first there were a few hiccups with the new technology and new software, but now things are running smoothly with guests appreciating not having to keep track of keys. The Rubergs are, however, considering having someone onsite during exceptionally busy times in the summer. 

Ryan, who works from home for an ambulance dealership, takes care of all maintenance at Sawmill. He’s well qualified for this since he has both a real estate license and a contractor’s license. Ryan did all of the remodeling of the Rushford car wash formerly owned by Darrs. Both the Rushford car wash and the newly acquired Caledonia car wash will soon have a new name, Clean Stop. 

According to the Rubergs, the most challenging part of running the motel has been finding good employees. They are well-pleased with the current employees. Since there is no need to pay a person at the front desk, Sawmill is able to offer a higher wage to their other employees as well as more freedom on the job. 

Decor at the Sawmill will be changing. The previous owners had decorated in an “up north” style with trees, bears and deer. Daisy and Ryan plan to use a more historic look focused on the sawmills from the days of lumbering in Minnesota. The front lobby will also get a PIN activated lock on the main door in the future.

The business opportunity of the Sawmill was what drew the Rubergs to Houston. Daisy declared that the freedom to work from home has been a big plus for her as she cares for her son.

When asked what Houston needs to add, Ryan replied, “Restaurants – especially for breakfasts!” He noted that guests often end up traveling out of town for more dining options. 

Outback Ranch, a wedding venue near Houston, is only about six minutes away from Sawmill; as a result, they book a lot of wedding guests. The Rubergs encourage residents of Houston to remember to use Sawmill when they have family occasions as well. 

The Sawmill Inn has a total of 14 rooms, which on some weekends seems to be too few. They sometimes have five more guests on a waiting list on busy weekends. There are six rooms that are double queens, four king jacuzzi rooms and a one bedroom apartment. 

Guests at The Sawmill Inn have appreciated the ease of check in; they have liked the convenience of using a PIN number instead of a key and the available access to needed items such as extra towels, shampoo, etc. Daisy and Ryan want to encourage people to come to The Sawmill Inn for an enjoyable, cozy, private stay in Houston.