Considering that I know the store you're talking about, I really don't see the owner having much of a problem with it. A retailer 45 minutes away isn't that much of a threat. The closest competition my small business has is less than a mile away and we're still swamped with work. That said, I initially tried to play nice and cooperate since we have very different business models anyway, but the owner immediately tried to talk down my business and got pretty nasty about it, and ultimately it backfired on him since now there are many people who will never darken his doorstep again.

So, I would start the business and offer to cooperate, especially if you want to try wholesaling any extra feeders should you have any, or if you produce feeders he doesn't typically stock.