American-made fans, furniture and decor inspired by life in the Heartland.
Inspired by her upbringing, Kelly Eggers has built a business based on a common theme: channeling the all-American, simple, country life into home design. Founder of The Original Windmill Ceiling Fans & Lighting Co. and its sister company, Ranch & Co. Interiors, Eggers and her husband have grown a loyal customer based filled with people cut from the same cloth, who value craftsmanship and a hands-on approach to design. As they prepare for their fourth year as a Cowboy Christmas sponsor, Eggers walks us through how they connect their Made in Texas brand with farm and ranch clients across the country.
Growing up on a farm in Kansas, Eggers experienced the hard-earned value of working with her hands, a value that has built the foundation of The Original Windmill Ceiling Fans and Lighting Co. Today, the company’s team has grown to 30 members, each one an integral part of the creative vision brought to life by their clients. While the designs are all custom and vary widely, the ethos of the business rests on a simple concept: honoring the simple pleasures of country living.
“So much of who I am today and where the business is, the whole foundation came from the simple experiences from the country life,” Eggers says. “I grew up on a farm, and you really learn a lot out there. I think that if every kid were involved in 4-H or FFA, this world would be a better place. You learn so much about finances, honesty, integrity, how to take care of things and even how to take care of yourself. It’s stayed with me for my entire life and gave me the drive and motivation to start my own business — because that’s definitely not easy.”
In her pursuit of a truly unique product, Eggers has grounded herself in both innovative function and custom design, constantly looking for new ways to add value to each order. Part of that value is the company’s design process, which boasts a seemingly endless supply of leathers, hides and finishes handled personally by skilled craftsmen in the production process.
“Once [a piece] goes into production, we have our team that stays throughout the entire process. It’s not something you can just go online and purchase from a big box store,” Eggers says. “It does take time, but what that enables us to do is spend a lot of quality time with our customers, so we really know that we’re going down the right path with the pieces that we’re creating. We really want each piece to be passed down through generations, so we want to be perfect.”
A look inside their Pilot Point, Texas, production facility shows the level of detail put into each order, as the team rolls rings, paints fan blades and tests finished fans before shipping them out to their new homes. The commitment to handmade is evident and reflects Eggers’ pride in creating an American-made product.
“In some sense, it would be a lot easier if I sourced in China, but that’s just not who I am,” Eggers says. “American ingenuity and quality are very important to our customers. That’s why my job is easy — I deal with people who are built from the same cloth as I am, so American-made is very important. It’s hard to achieve, but it’s something that is always going to be a part of our business.”
00In the NFR Spotlight00
The Original Windmill Ceiling Fans & Lighting Co. partners with and gives back to the rodeo community, with their involvement peaking during the NFR. Here’s where you can find their influence this December:
Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund
The Eggers have been NFR sponsors since their first year, but 2024 marked the start of a new donation: 20 handmade benches were arranged throughout Cowboy Christmas before being auctioned off to benefit the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The donation benches will return in 2025 as well as a one-of-a-kind chandelier made from Western belts, signed by rodeo athletes.
Arena Ties
You may notice a familiar face in the Ranch & Co. Interiors booth in Las Vegas, Nevada. Three-time World Champion Bareback Rider Tim O’Connell and his wife, Sami, are partners in the furniture business and are hands-on in assisting clients at Cowboy Christmas. Combining their passions for rodeo and furniture, the O’Connells have their own unique eye for design as well as an understanding of true Western heritage and how it translates to the home.
“They grew up in the same kind of environment that my husband and I did and just value the country life and hard work ethic,” Eggers says. “It’s really translated extremely well into a very positive business and working relationship.”
Cowboy Christmas — Booth 839
The showroom comes to you at the booth, where you can browse the full selection of samples and styles available to design both Windmill Ceiling Fans and custom Ranch & Co. Interiors furniture fit perfectly to your space.
“The booth is an extended version of our showroom,” Eggers says. “It’s a place where you can come in and see what we do. You can see the quality, the craftsmanship, and you can definitely see American-made.”
Accompanying their production facility, Eggers has recently opened a design showroom on the historic Pilot Point square, giving clients an opportunity to touch and feel the many options for both custom Windmill Ceiling Fans as well as coordinating Ranch & Co. Interiors furniture. The space is packed with leathers, fan blades samples and styled spaces to spark design inspiration. Eggers chose the building itself to reflect the heritage-first values of her brand.
“It’s important for when people walk in the door, they see they are in a building built in the 1800s that’s been on the Pilot Point square for generations,” Eggers says. “It was there when people were riding horses to get from one spot to another before cars. It’s a very special place; it’s got that same heritage, that tradition that all our products have. The location was important, and we’re very glad to expand our footprint in the community.”
Whether you’re a North Texas local or an attendee of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, you can sit down with the production team to build something that reflects your style. The team that builds the product is also on-site, making the entire process personal and value-driven — just as Eggers intended it to feel.
