GRAND OPENING - Texas Hunting & Fishing | Lone Star ... · est fishing or hunting trip.” ... ‘We’ll have 3,500 new guns here by the time of the Grand Opening’ ... from the

tore manager JohnSingleton is ready towelcome customers toGander Mountain’sGrand Opening follow-ing a few hectic

months. “We began moving dirt in February,

and the foundation was poured inApril,” he said. “With the soft open-ing at the end of May and the GrandOpening beginning June 8, it’s been abusy few months.”

Singleton has a lengthy backgroundin retail management with MJ Designsin the Sherman area, and he got toknow some of the Gander managersand employees when shopping there,and joined them two years ago.

The Gander employees in Shermanwere instrumental in his joining theGander team. “That was a big factor,”he said. “The company encourages itspeople to get out there and partici-pate in the outdoors. These guyswere always telling me about their lat-est fishing or hunting trip.”

His piqued interest in the outdoorsbenefited his health as well. “I gotback in to running and being moreactive. I’ve lost 60 pounds in the pastyear-and-a-half.” He also has a lovefor camping and backpacking, includ-ing winter survival camping from timespent in upstate New York.

Finding qualified employees for thenew store was not a problem.

“We had a vast number of qualifiedapplicants,” Singleton said. “Theresponse has been incredible. Wewere able to have a first, second, third

and fourth prospect for each posi-tion.”

The expertise of the staff is critical,he said. “We hire people with a pas-sion for the outdoors, and they allhave a wealth of knowledge andexperience in the areas where theywork. Their lives outside help fosterthe relationship with the customer.

“We want our staff to provide morethan a service to the customers. Wewant to develop that relationship withthe customers, to link with themabout what they do” in the outdoors.

Gander Mountain is more than justsales and service. It also offers spacefor seminars or meetings. “The Lodgeis a large meeting room – we’ll use itfor seminars by the store’s expert asso-ciates and guests, and hunter safetyeducation courses,” Singleton said.“It’s also available free of charge fororganizations such as local bass clubs,Boy Scout groups, and conservationgroups to have their meetings.”

Dave Coupel is the operationsmanager and assistant store manager.“My job is to make sure we have theright product whenever the cus-tomers need it,” he said. He hasbeen with Gander Mountain since theopening of the first Texas store inCorsicana in 2004. An Army veter-an, he lives to fish “for anything.”

Coupel is also in charge of mer-chandising and maintenance, and hestresses customer service as thelifeblood of the store. “Our servicesets us apart,” he said. “From the baitshop for the fishermen heading out

to the lake, to the experienced tech-nicians for archery equipment, fishingreels, boats and ATVs, and our gun-smith, we can take care of the cus-tomer’s needs.”

Singleton has a relaxed manage-ment style that has spilled over to theemployees. He is amazed with theattitude of the staff during the store’ssetup, but knows the great attitudewill be there at the Grand Openingand beyond.

“We’re selling toys” for the out-doorsman and woman, he said. “Noone comes in here in a bad mood.”

Page 1 � June 8, 2007 Advertising Supplement

GRAND OPENING

College Station store ready to serveJOHN

SINGLETON

StoreManagerS

DAVE

COUPEL

OperationsManager

rom shotguns to rifles,muzzleloaders, hand-guns and bows, thetop brands in GanderMountain’s Hunting

Department are here to view – andtouch.

The department’s selection alsoincludes optics, shooting andarchery accessories, decoys, dog-training equipment, blinds, clothingand more.

The brands hunters have cometo know and trust will keep thehunter on track, includingBrowning, Remington, Winchester,Bushnell, Federal, Leupold,Simmons, Rocky, Flambeau,LaCrosse, Primos, GSM StealthCam, Zeiss, Biologic, Avery andmore.

Archery hunters and targetshooters will appreciate the indoorarchery range, as well as customarrow cutting.

“We’ll have 3,500 new guns hereby the time of the Grand Opening,”said hunting manager Brady Owens,who describes a unique feature inthe firearms area. “We can lock anygun to our gun table – with the trig-ger guard in place, of course – andour customers can personally handle

and feel any of the guns in a totallysafe manner.”

The department offers an exten-sive selection of hunting gear foreach season, whether the hunter is

after big game or deer, waterfowl,upland birds, wild turkey, smallgame, or just prefers target shoot-ing.

The hunting staff is there to help.

“We go out of our way to hireknowledgeable people,” Owenssaid. “We prefer passion over spe-cific retail skills. We can teach retail,but you can’t teach passion.”

The staff includes two membersof the Texas A&M competitivearchery team and the chairman ofthe A&M Chapter of DucksUnlimited. “We have an expert oneverything,” Owens said.

Owens praises the wealth ofknowledge of his staff, and theservices of the department to helpthe customer during and after thesale, including a full-time gunsmith.

“We can do everything frombuilding a custom rifle to shorteninga stock,” said gunsmith MarkHalsey. “We also list our services —and our prices — on the GanderMountain Web site.”

Owens is a native of CollegeStation and transferred from theTyler Gander store. He favorsupland bird hunting, especially doveand quail, and waterfowl hunting hashooked him.

“I have a new ChesapeakeRetriever puppy and plan to train itonce things here settle down a littlebit.”

Owens considers himself fortu-nate to merge his passion and hiswork.

“This is the ultimate job for anoutdoorsman,” he said.

Department has hunters in sights

F

‘We’ll have 3,500 new guns here by the time of the Grand Opening’

BRADY

OWENS

HuntingManager


Hunting

oe Williams, manager ofthe fishing department,touts his staff and thestore’s inventory as thehighlights of his depart-ment.

“We’re more than justfishing gear and supplies,” hesaid. “The department isdesigned to provide completeservice and convenience for thecustomers.”

The selection covers every skilllevel from beginner to expert totournament pro. More than 200reels – baitcasting, spinning or fly– more than 500 rods, and6000-plus lure types will enticethe angler.

Knowing that every customerhas a favorite brand, GanderMountain carries all the topnames in fishing equipment: AbuGarcia, Berkley, Daiwa, Eagle,Frabill, Garmin, Mepps, MinnKota, Plano, Rapala,Shakespeare, Shimano, St. Croix,Zebco and many more.

In addition to the name brands,Gander Mountain carries its ownGuide Series brand. The GuideSeries brand is high-quality andaffordable. “I would put our rodsup against anything out there,”

he said.The fishing department also

includes a vast array of acces-sories such as tackle boxes, land-ing nets, bait buckets, anchors,life jackets, mooring rope andfish finders.

Williams said the departmentcan meet the needs of the week-end angler to the everyday fish-erman in a one-stop shoppingexperience. Williams said it’s notjust about the variety and equip-ment. “We do have the most

variety in the area,” he said. “Butwe want to build a relationshipwith our customers and help givethem the best outdoor experi-ence they can have.”

The department has an in-store bait shop offering live and

frozen bait, full rod and reel serv-ice, a line-winding station and arod and reel repair service. “Wecan load the rod and reel whilethe customer is at the store,”Williams said. “They can gostraight from the store to thelake.”

Williams is especially excitedabout his staff. With TrevorKnight, a member of the TexasA&M bass club, Brian Forest, aprofessional tournament fisher-man, and an associate transfer-ring from Houston with extensivesaltwater and fly-fishing knowl-edge and experience, the cus-tomer can get his or her ques-tions answered.

“They all have a passion forfishing and an understanding ofwhat works out there – and whatdoesn’t,” he said.

Williams, an East Texas native,comes to Gander Mountain fromthe grocery industry, where hespent the last 24 years, but heshares the passion for fishing. Hisfavorites are the “double Cs”, hesaid. “Crappie and catfish.”

He also likes saltwater troutfishing, and his saltwater favorite,flounder gigging. “Now that’s ablast.”

An angler’s haven for variety, service

J

‘We’re more than just fishing gear and supplies. The department is designed to provide complete service ...’

JOE

WILLIAMS

FishingManager


Fishing

anderMountain’sclothing andcamping lineupprovides com-fort, function

and style for both men and womenof all ages, shapes and sizes. Thetop brands in the business are onhand, including ColumbiaSportswear, Woolrich, Mossy Oak,Wall, Carhartt, LaCrosse, Rockyand Wrangler.

Gander’s Guide Series clothingline was developed with the out-door enthusiast in mind, and thenew GSX line (Guide SeriesExtreme) is extremely popular. “Itis designed for active wear,” saidJennifer Swift, the camping andapparel manager. “The line uses allof the new breathable fabrics andmoisture-control systems.”

The clothing and footwear aren’tjust for the woods. “We havegreat styles and fabrics that workgreat every day, indoors and out,”she said.

Gander Mountain offers a widevariety of camping equipment.

“We have the best variety ofcamping gear,” she said. “Fromthe moderate to the high-endequipment. And our selection oftents is unmatched.

“We have Guide Series tentsand tents from Coleman, Wenzel,and Eureka.”

From 2-person models to thelarger 5- to 6-person tents, and tothe giant 8- to 10-person family

tents, Gander Mountain’s tents willfit the bill. The sleeping bag col-lection includes Guide Series andColeman bags, while more serioushikers can choose bags rated forextreme conditions from

Slumberjack.The backpack selection covers

all types of hiking and camping aswell, from day-packs to high-endpacks with internal frames madefrom the best light-weight materi-

als in the industry for the moretechnical hiker. “We have five orsix styles of backpacks made byKelty that weigh as little as four tofive pounds,” Swift said.

Campers and hikers will appreci-ate the selection of supplies,including single-burner and largerstoves, lanterns, cooking pots andfrying pans, cooking utensils andmess kits and one-person coffeemakers. The dried food selectionincludes complete meals anddesserts.

Swift came to Texas a year agofrom Los Angeles. She has exten-sive experience in the sportinggoods industry, including retail,management and working in thecorporate office. An avid camper,hiker, water-skier and roller-blader,she is looking forward to meetingthe customers and trying newthings in the outdoors. “I’m super-excited,” she said. “I’m new tohunting and fishing, but can’t waitto get out there.”

She’s also learning more andmore about the likes and interestsof Texans. “I hear barbecues arebig here, and we have a lot ofthem,” she said. “That and cool-ers.”

Gander out to make happy campers

G

‘We have the best variety of camping gear. From the moderate to the high-end equipment.’

JENNIFER

SWIFTCampingManager

Camping


ach Hester, thePower Sports man-ager, has extensiveexperience in thepower sports arena.

A College Station native and avidhunter and fisherman, he’s ready toshare the store’s extensive boat andATV selection with customers.

Gander Mountain carries a widevariety of boats to meet the needsof the freshwater or saltwater inshorefisherman, and can fully supply thepleasure boater or water-skier.

“We have Tracker Marine fishingboats, Sun Tracker pontoon boats,Nitro high-performance fishingboats, Tahoe runabout deck boatsand Mako boats for offshore andinshore saltwater fishing,” he said.This group of performers makesGander Mountain the largest nationalnetwork of outlets for Tracker Marineboats.

The department also sells Mercurymotors, both two- and four-stroke,up to 75 horsepower. Larger motorsare available on the Nitro boats.

Carry-On trailers are stocked aswell, from 5-14 feet, both open andenclosed. “We have both the side-loading and dual-loading UTV trail-

ers,” Hester said. Customers also will find a com-

plete supply of boating accessories,including wake and knee boards.

The department carries ATVs and

UTVs as well.“We also carry Arctic Cat and

Kolpin ATVs and Honda generators,including the popular Arctic CatProwler, a two-seat utility vehicle

with a dump bed in back.”Hester said the service depart-

ment sets Gander’s Power Sport divi-sion apart. “We have a huge servicedepartment offering both boat and

ATV service,” he said. “And thisstore has a larger service space foreverything power sports, includingparts and accessories.

“We have two technicians that arecareer mechanics, and they are bothsmall-engine certified.”

Eddie Kellar, the service manager,is certified in Kawasaki, Suzuki,Yamaha ATVs and motorcycles andArctic Cat ATVs. He’s also certifiedin all Mercury motors.

Hester encourages customers tobring in their equipment for service,whether or not it came from GanderMountain. “Any make or model – nomatter what year it is – we’ll work onit,” Hester said.

Financing is available throughGander Mountain for all boats andATVs. “If the customer has decentcredit, we can get them in a boat orATV,” he said.

The department offers a one-stopshop for everything power sports,from sales and accessories to partsand service.

“We want to take care of the cus-tomer after the sale,” he said. “Ourgoal is to keep the customer for life,not just make a sale.”

Service, products pack outdoors power

Z ZACH

HESTERPower Sports

Manager

‘Our goal is to keep the customer for life, not just make a sale.’

Power Sports



Despite stacks of boxes and piles ofproducts to place, morale remained

high during final preparations for theCollege Station Gander Mountain store

opening. The shouts of employeescould be heard from department to

department, including the famousAggie “yell.” An employee wearing a

shirt that even resembled burnt orangein color was met with heckling from the

staff. Most of the staff liked themaroon color in Gander Mountain’slogo, even though it’s not quite an

exact match to their beloved Aggiemaroon.

Gearingto go

2301 Earl Rudder Freeway South • College Station, Texas • (979) 693-6412

ABOUT GANDER MOUNTAIN

Gander Mountain provides a uniqueretail experience founded upon its “WeLive Outdoors” culture and theme. Eachstore offers a broad assortment of com-petitively priced outdoor equipment,accessories, apparel and footwear, com-bined with expert service and a uniquestore environment.

The companywide emphasis on cus-

tomer service is based on each storeassociate’s extensive product knowl-edge and outdoor-related experience.

Gander Mountain’s “Everyday LowPrice” strategy and “Low PriceGuarantee” provides the best valueevery day.

The Company has 108 GanderMountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 22

states. The first store in Texas wasopened in 2004 in Corsicana.

College Station is the 10th store inTexas, with other Texas locations inAmarillo, Beaumont, Houston, Sherman,Spring, Sugar Land, Texarkana and Tyler.

The Gander Mountain brand has a 45-year heritage of strong appeal and rele-vance to consumers who participate in

outdoor sports and recreational activi-ties.

The Gander Mountain brand wasfounded in Wilmot, Wis., in 1960 as acatalog operation, which over time wasaugmented with retail stores.

Go to www.gandermountain.come formore information about GanderMountain.

Gander Mountain is the nation’s largest retailer for hunting, fishing, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle products.

Grand Opening Events• Michael Waddell, the host of “Realtree Road Trips” and

future host of Gander Mountain’s “We Live Outdoors” televi-sion shows will be at the store to meet and greet customersfrom 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

• The On The Road with Michael Waddell seminar will takeplace on Saturday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noonto 1:30 p.m.

• Ray Howell, the founder of Kicking Bear Camp for Kids anda Gander Mountain archery pro-staffer, will be featured at the

Shoot for Savings event held in the archery range. Customerscan take a shot at saving up to 50 percent off the day’s purchas-es, or win one of 1,300 prizes. The contest will take place from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

• Keith Warren, the host of “Outdoor Adventures” on theOutdoor Channel and a Gander Mountain pro-staffer, will meetand greet customers from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., Saturday, and willgive his “Bass’n, Warren Style” seminar from noon to 1 p.m.,Saturday, and from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., Sunday.

• Lonnie Stanley, bass fishing legend and owner of StanleyJigs, will give his “Ribbit Frog Sensation” seminar from noon to 1p.m. on Friday and from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Stanley alsowill give his “Bass and Swimming Jigs” seminar from 5 to 6 p.m.on Friday and from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday.

• Primos Game Calls will teach how to make a duck call andhow to use it from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday (limited to the first300 people).



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GRAND OPENING - Texas Hunting & Fishing | Lone Star ... · est fishing or hunting trip.” ... ‘We’ll have 3,500 new guns here by the time of the Grand Opening’ ... from the