Thanks for 50 Amazing Years in the Waldo Community!
Small businesses in a rural community can face significant challenges over time, with many of them unable or unwilling to sustain operations past the 10-year mark. Staying in business for many decades takes a long-term commitment both from the business owners, and the amazing customers that support their operations. As 2018 marks the beginning of 50 years that Norton Sporting Goods has had a place in the Waldo community, we wanted to take the time to share our history (and our future!) with you all.
Spotlight on Our History
Our story started back in 1968 when Howard and Susan Dean decided to remodel a hunting and fishing store to offer the Delaware Wildlife Area a local option for purchasing their supplies. The roofline of the store has been the same ever since a new tackle and bait area was added in the early 1970s. A family business from the beginning, the three Dean kids were highly visible with store operations throughout the first three decades with James, Howard and Susan's youngest son, taking over full responsibility for operations in 2001. The store continued to grow under James' leadership, adding tackle, guns and archery in the subsequent years. Even today, you'll see Howard Dean at the store most days, sharing his 50 years of experience.
Your Premiere Hunting and Fishing Headquarters
Norton Sporting Goods offers the brands you can trust, from Ruger, Glock, Sig Sauer, Remington, Winchester and Smith & Wesson in our Class II firearms section, to top-of-the-line hunting, fishing and archery supplies. Stop by for live bait or grab some extra ammunition on your way to the Delaware Wildlife Area and public shooting range a few miles down the road.
Our Loyal Customers
Of course, no business can exist without loyal customers, and we are proud to say that our customers are some of the best! We are constantly humbled by the opportunity to interact with each of you on a daily basis. Here's what people have to say:
- "Friendly staff, and good prices. A good old fashioned sporting goods store." — by Matt Y. on Dec. 26th, 2017.
- "Friendly, knowledgeable people with competitive prices." — by Jeff D. on Dec. 18th, 2017.
- "These guys are awesome. Super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. My favorite gunshop. They have helped me clean up some old guns, they have helped me purchase a couple. Support your small shops!" — by JJ S. on Dec. 7th, 2017.
As you can see, both the owners and customers of Norton Sporting Goods believe that this establishment has a special place in the Waldo community. We love to share stories with our customers and look for ways we can support young hunters on our blog. Come see us today and check out the wide variety of hunting and fishing items available in our store! Thanks for 50 years, and here's to 50 more!
