Our story isn't some
glamorous Hollywood tale. We aren't fifth generation retailers.
And we don't come from money. It is a story of family and lots
of hard
work.
In early 2007 we decided to open our own western store. Robert,
Patrick and Thomas had each worked in the industry for other retailers
and were now ready to give it a go on their own. We inspected
virtually every existing commercial location from Waskom, Texas to
Vicksburg, Mississippi but finally settled on Ruston, Louisiana as the
most logical place for a western store. There weren't any
similar stores in town and Ruston was just far enough from the major
stores in Monroe and Shreveport to have a chance.
It took us several
months to find a halfway suitable location and get it remodeled.
On June 26th of 2007 we officially swung our doors open for business.
And we haven't looked back since. In just a year's time we've
added almost every major western brand and even a good
number of fashion brands - Lucky Brand, Big Star, Old Gringo.....
None of which would have been possible without the continued support
of our customers, vendor partners, and friends.
In early 2008 we
decided to expand our operations into the Lake Charles market.
Initially we thought our expansion would involve an acquisition but
eventually we decided to start from scratch. Again, our search
for a suitable location consumed dozens of tanks of gasoline and diesel
but finally we found our location right in the heart of Lake Charles
on Ryan Street. And in June of 2008 after several months of
renovations we opened the doors on our second location. We're
often asked where we're headed next. Great question.
Rest easy, we'll let you know when we figure it out.
Throughout this process
we've learned a number of valuable lessons but one that matters more
than all the rest. God is good all the time. He has
blessed us more than we could ever deserve or imagine. We hope
you've learned this lesson too.
Come see us!
The Patton Brothers
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