A family-run ski shop in Hunter will soon take its offerings to the next level after being awarded a $25,000 MULTI Grant from Greene County.
The Pro Ski and Ride was opened in 1993 by Keith Holmquist and Robert Briody. For 30 years, the full-service shop has offered retail skiing and snowboarding equipment, as well as rental equipment. Following in his father’s footsteps, Giovanni Holmquist wants to continue his father’s legacy of offering exceptional customer service and state-of-the-art technology.
The key to the business’s success is its commitment to service, Holmquist said. Known for their boot fitting services, the shop’s knowledgeable staff helps customers find the right boots and make modifications to accommodate their needs.
The shop has gone through some recent improvements, including adding a warehouse, starting online sales, and purchasing a Wintersteiger Jupiter automatic tuning machine, which waxes and sharpens skis for better performance. In the future, Holmquist hopes to add a Wintersteiger Safetronic binding testing device, which checks to make sure bindings-devices that connect ski boots to skis- are set correctly.
Holmquist heard about the MULTI Grant opportunity from Economic Development Director James Hannahs.
“It was a collaborative process with clear communication from the County under expectations of what’s needed,” Holmquist said. “Any questions I had, James was able to get back to me in generally less than 24 hours.”
Holmquist utilized the funding to modernize the shop. For example, purchasing iPads for customers to enter their information instead of using a paper system. Other improvements include getting branded merch with the shop’s new logo; adding some new inventory including Jones Snowboards, Now Bindings and Kastle Skis; and ramping up the shop’s online advertising.
“$25,000 is a significant investment from the County into our community,” Holmquist said. “I would definitely recommend other businesses should take advantage of that.”
The MULTI Grant Program, which stands for Money for Utilities, Logistics, Technology, and Inventory, is for businesses in Greene County that have 5 or fewer employees. Phase 1 of the program was funded through a $300,000 grant from NYS obtained by the Greene County Department of Economic Development, Tourism & Planning and will be distributing grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 to Greene County businesses who have gone through the pre-qualification process earlier this year.
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Topics: Success Stories
