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When Howard Eichorn and his wife Chris bought Glen’s Army Navy in 1974, the business had already begun its transition from a traditional army/navy store to an outdoor store. By the time Howard Eichorn died in 2007, having worked in the business until a week before his death, the army/navy segment had dwindled to a minor part of the business. Today Chris and the couple’s, two sons, Rusty and Mitch continue to sell a mix of camping and outdoor gear, firearms and ammunition, winter sports equipment, fishing and hunting supplies, gifts and souvenirs, work wear and a small amount of traditional army/navy clothing and supplies including ammo boxes, BDUs, and M65 jackets and liners.

“The store has always been called, and always will be called, Glen’s Army Navy,” said Rusty Eichorn. “But our focus is as an outdoor store. All our advertising says Glen’s Army Navy-Your Outdoor Store.”

Located at 701 NW 4th Street in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, the evolution of Glen’s from a surplus to an outdoor store has been almost organic. Itasca County in northern Minnesota, where the store is located, is a huge vacation area with more than 1,000 lakes.

“We are in a big tourist region,” said Rusty Eichorn. “There is a lot of hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. We have always been an icon in the community, having been here so long. We made the transition because it was what the market demanded, and the opportunity was there for us to expand in new areas as well as to expand the store.”

Glen’s Army Navy was founded in 1946 as a small retail surplus business by Glen Dix. At that time the store measured only a few hundred square feet. Still in its original location, Glen’s has expanded over the years to 19,000 square feet under one roof with about 13,000 square feet of retail space.

Glen’s employs a staff of 22-25 year round, 16 of whom are full-time and has one of the largest selections of outdoor supplies in the area. The city of Grand Rapids, with a population of 9,000 but as a county seat a service population of 60,000, has its share of box stores, including a Super Target and a Super Walmart. But they are not competitors, said Mitch Eichorn.

“Those stores do not have the selection that we have,” he said. “People know that they can come here and buy warm underwear and socks, a Columbia jacket or Under Armour underwear at a reasonable price. In addition to competitive pricing, Glen’s offers exceptional customer service from a knowledgeable sales staff.”

“We pride ourselves in providing a pleasant shopping experience, in helping people with selection and sizing and in our large number of return customers,” said Rusty Eichorn.

Firearms and ammunition are one of the most important elements of the business.

“Firearms are always a draw for customers into our store,” said Rusty Eichorn, noting that Glen’s usually carries 600 firearms in stock at any one time and a large assortment of ammunition. Ammunition sales have been stronger recently as there are national shortages of certain types of ammunition.

Fishing supplies range from traditional rods and reels to high tech underwater cameras.

In general, during hard economic times, people take more camping vacations rather than traveling and staying in an expensive hotel, and Glen’s has enjoyed a spur in sales of camping goods. Rusty notes that fishing sales have also increased.

“Fishing is a very affordable sport,” he said. “It offers a lot of entertainment without having to spend a lot of money. We have had a trend upward in fishing sales in the current economy.”