In Part 2 of our special family business coverage, we bring you three more of the team market’s most venerated dealers. Here, they discuss their legacy, future plans and challenges and consider the prospects of family-owned and family-run businesses in the team market hopefully for generations to come. Part 1 of this Family Planning feature ran in the July/August issue of Team Insight and can be found at www.teaminsightmag.com. Part 3 will run in the November/December issue of Team Insight.

Bashor’s Team Athletics, Portland, OR

Owners: Julia Sherman owns 70 percent of the business and her four cousins own the remaining 30 percent.

History: Bashor’s, or Frank Bashor’s Supplies Inc., was founded in 1944 by Frank Bashor. Charlie Driggers (Julia Sherman’s grandfather) worked for Bashor and was also a high school coach and teacher. After Bashor passed away, Driggers purchased the business from Bashor’s widow in 1960. The business has been in the Driggers family since then and Julia Sherman is the third generation involved in the company.

“From the beginning, [the business] always revolved around family,” says Sherman. My father, Joe Driggers, wanted to spend more time with his dad, so he joined him at the store after graduating college. Even if you asked me what I wanted to do as a child, I said I wanted to be a salesperson and run my grandpa’s company. Today I’m the only family member involved in running the business.”

Most Gratifying Aspects: “I think my favorite thing is seeing all the kids running around in gear we created — and helping kids get the right gear. Also, the relationships you build with players, coaches and parents and beating the odds of the ‘third generation’ while thriving in a competitive market.”

Challenges: “Finding our ‘lane.’ I think one of the more challenging things for me was figuring out where we fit in the market. We have always been a traditional team dealer focused on high school and college business, but with increased competition from the big national dealers in our area, making the decision to focus more on youth programs was a tough one to make, but has paid off.”

Looking Ahead: “For me, this part is tricky since we don’t have kids, or other family involved in the business. But I do know that I don’t want to sell out just so that I can retire. I want the business and my grandpa’s legacy to continue and I want to encourage a new generation of women in our industry.”

The Future of Family-Owned Team Businesses: “I think the future is bright. Independent dealers can pivot more easily if things are out of stock or not correct. The overall service you receive from an independent can’t be matched. I also think there is a shift in the economy to wanting to support small businesses and knowing that the money spent has a direct impact in our communities.”

Jack Pearl’s Team Sports, Battle Creek, MI

Owners: Keith Manning. Three of Manning’s children, ages 16, 14 and 12, work at the store part-time during the summer and on some weekends when they aren’t playing sports. The business was previously owned by Jack Pearl and then Joe Pearl for 59 years.

History: “Founded by Jack Pearl in Battle Creek in 1959, we have always focused on the unique needs of school-sponsored and independent sports teams. Service has always been our hallmark and we pride ourselves at being especially attentive to our customers’ requests. We understand the dynamics of team sports and have adjusted our business model over the years to respond to the many changes on the athletic landscape.”

Most Gratifying Aspects: “Working with coaches and athletic directors, seeing players’ reactions when they get their new uniforms and/or equipment. The continued loyalty we get from customers day in and day out. The flexibility of being an owner and having a great staff. Always having time to be able to see my kids play the sports that they love.”

Challenges: “Competition from other dealers that can offer extra incentives that, being a small business, restricts us from competing [with those incentives]. Also, customers wanting orders faster than what we can sometimes deliver.”

Looking Ahead: “Always looking to increase sales, either through hiring more sales reps or promoting inside personnel to outside sales. Also, increasing our social media presence is a big goal for us in the upcoming future.”

The Future of Family-Owned Team Businesses: “I’m not sure what the future holds for family-owned businesses. You see fewer and fewer every year — either they don’t have family members who want to take over the business or they don’t have any employees that are willing to take over, so they end up selling to a big dealer or just closing their doors.”

Scholastic Sports Sales, Manlius, NY

Owners: Justin Miller, who serves as president, and his two brothers, Josh Miller and Matt Miller, currently own the business. It has always been family-owned.

History: “The business was founded in April of 1974 by my grandfather, Harvey Miller, and my grandmother, Nancy Miller. They first operated out of their house in Cazenovia until they outgrew it. They eventually moved into our current location in Manlius approximately 30 to 35 years ago. My dad, Jeff Miller, ran the business for over 40 years until I and my two brothers took it over from him.”

Most Gratifying Aspects: “Each of us probably has a different take on what the most gratifying part of owning the business is, but I think it is pretty cool to keep our family’s name affiliated with the business and team sports in the area. My dad used to joke that he used to work with a lot of the youth programs’ board members’ parents because he had been doing it for so long.”

Challenges: “Some of the challenges over the years have been staffing and changes in the market. My dad always said that you are only as good as your people, which I think highlights just how important your staff is in running a successful business. The market has changed so much over the last 20 to 30 years with online shopping becoming so prevalent. Consumers’ expectations [regarding] turn times have grown due to companies like Amazon delivering everything within a couple of days.”

Looking Ahead:“My brothers and I still have a lot of years ahead of us in the business, but they both have two kids. They are still pretty young but maybe one day they will have interest in joining the family business.”

The Future of Family-Owned Team Businesses: “It seems that the story of the family business is becoming rarer by the day. I do think that there is still a place for family-owned/run businesses in the team market. I think that they give a better customer experience than a lot of the corporate models. They can give a more personal touch and make the customer feel like more than just an account number.”