Longtime Ronan business closing doors

In August, a local business will be closing its doors after six decades of serving avid outdoorsmen.

Robert Shrider, owner of Ronan Sports and Western, 204 U.S. Highway 93 South, said there were multiple reasons behind the decision to close the business’ doors, including the finalized sale of the building, steadily-rising taxes and competition.

“Between the taxes on the building and the insurance we pay on the building… There’s hardly enough to make ends mee,” Shrider explained, adding that he’d rather close doors than have to file bankruptcy if it came down to that option.

Software needs to be updated, Shrider said, and to properly upgrade systems and hardware the cost could go up to $100,000.

Shrider said that the business has until September to vacate the 9,500 square-foot building, but he’s hopeful to be finished in August.

“I have several weeks to close it up… but our goal is to have it wrapped up by the end of August,” Shrider said.

The building’s new owners will put up a “for rent” sign in the near future, Shrider said.

Prices on merchandise have been discounted up to 75 percent, Shrider said.

There still is a lot of inventory, he said, but small empty spaces are starting to show up on the shelves after only about one week of the liquidation sale.

To help give the staff some scheduling normalcy, hours of operation have changed.

The business is now open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, versus the former schedule of 9 a.m to 7 p.m. through the week.

Besides Shrider, there are nine others on staff including wife Chris, who tends to the office, daughter Kate Olson, manager of Western wear, and son-in-law Rob, firearms manager.

Ronan Sports and Western first opened its doors in June 1957 on Main Street under the name Ronan Surplus by former owner Dick Luchau.

Shrider began working for Luchau 40 years ago, and in May 2000, said he was given the opportunity by his longtime boss to purchase the corporation.

“I decided to take it on and go from there,” Shrider said.

Since the doors to the business are closing, it doesn’t necessarily mean the chance for the Shriders, who is in his late 60s, to retire.

“Does it mean I can retire? It means I’m old enough to retire,” he said, adding that he’s been busy for “a lot of years” and he’s not sure about retirement.

“This is a job I never disliked going to. I’m happy every day I go to work,” Shrider said.

That happiness stems from employee and cus-tomer interaction.

One thing Shrider will miss is listening to “se- crets” of customers, noting what has worked and what hasn’t in their adventures.

Shrider said once to store closes, there won’t be a place for his loyal customers to share “their succeses and triumps.”

Through the years, Shrider and regular customers have listened to each other talk about tricks of their trades, sharing “secret tricks,” as he put it.

“There’s a lot of visiting that goes on and others listening to the conversations, technical things they wouldn’t normally learn,” Shrider said.

“You live and you learn the successes of others, therefore you can try” those tips to see if that works, he added.

Shrider said that over the years, his best trainers have been his customers.

“Everybody does stuff different, and each person has their own expertise. If you pay attention and listen, you learn those techniques or secrets that make you look like a wizard because you listened to someone else that has perfected that over years,” Shrider said.

Shrider said that the business was not only a place where secrets were shared, but the support of its customer base helped employees’ as well.

“I’d like to thank the people of Montana for giving us 61 years of growth and being able to hire people, making several families’ livings,” Shrider said.