Local firm buys four-store chain

Rod Mende takes a ground blind down to purchase Tuesday at Sportsman & Ski Haus in Kalispell. Sportsman has expanded with the purchase of four Tri-State Outfitters stores in Idaho and Washington.

Dean and Meredith Faith pick up a few items of clothing while shopping at the store.

by Daily Inter Lake
| October 6, 2010 2:00 AM

Dean and Meredith Faith pick up a few items of clothing while shopping at the store.

Flathead County-based Sportsman & Ski Haus purchased four Tri-State Outfitters stores in Idaho and Washington last week.

The Tri-State Outfitters stores are located in Coeur d’Alene, Lewiston and Moscow, Idaho; and Moses Lake, Wash.

Dave Harvey, president of Crown Enterprises, which does business as Sportsman & Ski Haus, and Chief Executive Officer Mike Gwiazdon said in a press release Tuesday that the Tri-State Outfitters stores “will continue to operate as they have while beginning an integration process that will ultimately align operating procedures.”

Gwiazdon said the intent is “to maintain the integrity of both companies and use the combined buying power and talents that both have to provide a better buying experience for our customers.”

The Tri-State Outfitters stores were founded 64 years ago by the Connelly family. The founders’ children, Gerard Connelly and Mary Connelly, have operated the business for the last 33 years.

Gerard Connelly said when deciding to sell the stores, he “looked for someone whose corporate culture and values closely mirrored his.

“Mike Gwiazdon and Dave Harvey understand the importance of Tri-State to the community and they have assured us that they will maintain Tri-State’s leadership. We are confident that our employees will be treated with fairness and respect,” Connelly said in a prepared statement.

The Tri-State stores have 105 employees.

Sportsman & Ski Haus began in 1968 when Don Burks and Mel James opened Sportsman’s Surplus near the corner of Idaho and Main streets in downtown Kalispell. The store’s name later was changed to Sportsman & Ski Haus.

In 1973 Gwiazdon joined the business as manager of the ski department. He became a partner in 1981. Other minority partners who joined during the last 40 years are Doug Alexander and the late Ben Bailey.

A second store was opened in Whitefish in the late 1970s.

In June 2007 the Kalispell store moved to its new, larger building in the Hutton Ranch Plaza.

The two stores employ 110 people. Crown Enterprises has been an employee-owned company since 2000.

Gwiazdon, who could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, said in a 2007 Flathead Business Journal interview that he attributes the Sportsman’s success to “being able to see trends and changes before they actually kick in.

“What’s driven the size of our store is the business, the volume, the amount of product we carry, and we merchandise in a way that’s pleasing to our customers,” he said.