December 31, 2024 3:05 a.m.
In the KQEN Business Spotlight:
As the new year begins on Wednesday, a long-time local business is getting new owners.
Waldon’s Outdoor Sports co-owner Tom Kress, who is also a Douglas County Commissioner, said after 23 years the store has been sold to a Roseburg father and son. Kress told News Radio 93-9 FM and 1240 KQEN that the buyers are Todd Black and Brody Black.
Kress said the plan is to move the store from 330 Northeast Garden Valley Boulevard to the former Ken’s Dry-Cleaning location a block to the east. He said the Blacks have gotten an opportunity to purchase that property and are hoping to move soon. Kress said the expanded store will add athletic gear and batting cages along with the reintroduction of an archery range.
Currently Waldon’s has 6 employees and operates weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. It is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and is closed on Sundays.
Kress said over the years, the business had a total of 85 employees, and he is thrilled to have it continue as his life enters a new chapter. The store has been co-owned by John Backen and David Backen. Prior to opening Waldron’s, Kress co-owned Kress- Backen Auto Parts, on Northeast Cedar Street. Kress’s father originally owned that business with the Backen’s father. However, at some point he bought out the elder Backen. John and David Backen were partners in the auto parts building itself.
Kress said that the Carquest Corporation, which was their parts supplier, purchased Kress-Backen in 2000. Kress ran the Roseburg store for the new owner for a year and then was asked to become the corporation’s finance director. That sent him to Lexington, Kentucky where the corporate headquarters was located. After a year, Kress missed Douglas County and wanted to move back. He asked the Backen brothers if they would like to own a sporting goods store with him, and the new venture began in January 2002.
Kress’s wife Sasha has been the bookkeeper for the business, just as she was at Kress-Backen. Kress said she will now get to spend more time with the couple’s grandkids, while he will be able to concentrate even more on helping to run the county.
New co-owner Todd Black told KQEN that there will be many new features to the store but one thing that won’t change is the customer experience Waldrons has provided for decades.