Alpine Shop, a St. Louis-based and family-owned outdoor retailer, has signed a letter of intent to purchase The Pathfinder, a specialty outdoor store in Manhattan, KS.
The Pathfinder, located at 304 Poyntz Ave. in downtown Manhattan, will
become the Hollenbecks’ fifth retail store in early November, joining
three Alpine Shop locations in Missouri and one in Illinois. Alpine Shop’s owners Russell “Holly” and Lisa Hollenbeck said they plan to continue operating the store under The Pathfinder name.
“We’re excited to be entering the Manhattan market with the purchase of
The Pathfinder,” Russell Hollenbeck said. “When we entered the store for
the first time, we immediately felt like we were walking into one of
our own stores. That’s not something we take lightly. What Bill and Erma
have created over the past 40 years here resonated with Lisa and me,
and we’re looking forward to continuing that tradition.”
Bill and Erma Riley opened The Pathfinder, a single-store operation, in 1975, to bring to life their desire to help Kansans enjoy outdoor experiences as much as they did. Specializing in gear and clothing for bicycling, backpacking, paddling, climbing, traveling, fly fishing and other outdoor activities, they celebrated 40 years in business earlier this year.
“Erma and I are delighted that our long time customers will continue to enjoy quality outdoor products and service with Alpine Shop ownership,” The Pathfinder’s owner, Bill Riley said. “Lisa and Holly Hollenbeck are known to give very personal attention to maintaining high professional standards. We appreciate their high credibility in our outdoor industry and their many years of building successful customer relationships. We are confident our Manhattan area customers will be well satisfied with this transition.”
Alpine Shop, which got its start in1973 as a small climbing shop in Webster Groves, Mo., now serves almost every type of outdoor enthusiast from backpackers, hikers, campers, paddlers, and cyclists, to snowboarders, skiers and adventure racers. The family-owned specialty outdoor retailer has consistently been named the Best Sporting Goods store in St. Louis for the past five years and also earned a 2012 national retailer of the year honor for its commitment to growth in outdoor sports.
