CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – After 53 years in business, Clarksville’s iconic store Grandpa’s Outdoors is closing its doors forever.
Mrs. Jackie Langford, Vice President of Grandpa’s, located at 1894 Fort Campbell Boulevard in Clarksville, announced her decision to retire earlier this month.
SB Capital Group has been retained by Langford to assist her in operating a “Store Closing Sale” with discounts on more than $1.5 million worth of retail inventory.
Grandpa’s Outdoors was founded by Don G. Riner, better known as Grandpa. Riner was an accomplished pilot who had flown as an Army Air Corp Flight Instructor in India during World War II, returning after the war to fly as a pilot for the Ohio Oil Company.
In 1963, with the help of a friend from St. Louis, T.W. Pidgeon, Riner opened his store.
From those early days, and with much success over many years, Grandpa’s Outdoors grew from 25,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet, and became the destination in the Clarksville area for the avid outdoorsman.
Grandpa’s Outdoors has built a reputation of community involvement, and has sponsored innumerable community organizations such as Boy Scouts of America Troop 525, Clarksville Bass Club, Children’s TWRA Fishing Rodeo, the Kiwanis Rodeo, the Clarksville Police Department Youth Fishing Rodeo, the Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Battalion, the Night Stalker Association-160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and the Annual Special Forces (Airborne) Reunion Shooting Competition.
While the decision to close the store was a difficult and painful decision to make, Langford is looking forward to the next phase of her life, and enjoying the many things she’s never had quite enough time for. “I want to relax and enjoy my family. I also have a passion for painting, and maybe now I can find some time to enjoy my passion,” she said. “It was difficult to make this decision. Some of the employees have worked for Grandpa’s for nearly 40 years. My options were fairly limited. I finally decided it was the right time for me.”
In the coming days of the closing sale, discounts off Grandpa’s historically low prices will be applied to every item in the store, including guns and ammunition. Grandpa’s Outdoors has departments for Archery, Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Clothing, Boots, Hardware, and Outdoor Living.
Siegfried Schaffer, principal of SB Capital Group, commented, “Grandpa’s is a fixture in this community. Already well-known for great brands at competitive prices, the Store Closing Sale will bring value-added savings to all of Grandpa’s customers.”