Photo courtesy of Snowmobiles in the parking lot of Fish and Hunt Shop, a powersports store in Curtis.
Editor's note: The Daily Press will feature a series of articles about local businesses, highlighting their history and what makes them unique. This series will be serialized regularly in the Daily Press.
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Curtis — Curtis, Michigan — a small town in the central Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Manistique — has a sporting goods and powersports store branching out from a gas station with sales and rentals serving outdoor enthusiasts year-round. doing.
Depending on the season, people passing along Main Street along South Manistique Lake may be lured into the fish and game store by one or more stocks. The store carries power sports equipment such as boats, snowmobiles and side-by-sides, as well as practical work equipment such as chainsaws and snow blowers.
Mike Soeder, who co-owns the Fish and Hunt Shop with his brother John, says his most popular items are a line-up of Lund boats, Sylvan pontoons and Can-Ams, but that's just a preference. he said.
“I always said this is nut soup, because we still sell a lot of fishing gear, a lot of clothing, accessories…and ice fishing, of course at this time of year… We have live bait…we also have Husqvarna chainsaws and lawn and garden supplies.” Mike listed.
Of course the list goes on.
In the early 1950s, Rector and Mary Sauder started Curtis Service, a gas station and store. A few years later, the sporting goods section of the store expanded to include boats and motors.
In 1973, due to further growth, sporting goods and more products moved into an adjacent building. Currently, two separate stores are operated by the next generation of his Soders. The Fish and Hunt Shop was run by Mike and John, whose brother Rick still owns a gas station called Curtis Service.
It's not just the extensive product line that brings customers, both new and returning, to Fish and Hunt Shop.
“Another important part is a lot of the service work, because we are a full-service dealership and not a box store.” said Mike. “We have a lot of temporary vehicles that are coming in for repair work, maintenance or because we get a lot of tourists here, like boats and snowmobiles and four-wheelers. , because it’s a snowmobiling destination.”
Mike estimates that approximately 60-75% of sales are made to non-residents.
Perhaps the reason why Fish and Hunt Shop is the rental option of choice is because of its location in the middle of some of the best vacation destinations in the country. Available snowmobiles, ATVs and boats can be viewed on the website fishandhuntshop.com.
“Over the past five years, we've reached a situation where we almost never have a slow season.” said Mike. “Between the warehouses, hundreds of boats are stored in the fall. Spring may be the quietest time, but then they are next to each other, and then the boat shows start. I'm planning on going to Escanaba for the boat show that's going to be held there, and then going to the market a week later.” he laughed.
Mike said the Fish and Hunt Shop averages about 20 full-time employees. The services they provide – arranging rentals, locating parts, arranging financing, managing inventory, etc. – are gaining traction.
In 2022, Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP), the Canadian company responsible for brands such as Ski-Doo, Lynx, Can-Am, Sea-Doo, and Manitou and spanning five continents, will rebrand Fish and Hunt Shop as the Ski-Doo brand. year in the United States.
In 2023, they were once again recognized as District Dealer of the Year.
“We're proud of it, and so is the whole crew. You know they're doing the right thing.” said Mike. “Like I said, the service part and taking care of them, that's a big thing, because people can get the price anywhere, but they want to be satisfied with the follow-up after that. ”
The sporting goods store is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM and on weekends from 8:30 AM to 4 PM. Service work, parts, and great deals may not be available on Sundays during the off-season.
