Page 49 - 2017-01-02

PARTNERS IN BUSINESS & LIFE
JANE & RONNIE GROOM
Ronnie Groom: I do most of the buying and whatever needs to be done in managing the business.
PC Living: Throughout the years, how has business changed for you, when you think back? Do people expect more? Has the merchandise changed? Obviously it has.
Ronnie Groom: The gun business has really increased. People now are more concerned about self-defense weapons. And we sell more hunting equipment as well.
Jane Groom: One thing we've seen in our business recently, in the past say three or four years, women have been coming in and purchasing self-defense guns.
Ronnie Groom: Yes, and women are now also avid about hunting and shing. PC Living: Do you go on hunting trips? And do you go together?
Ronnie Groom: She used to.
Jane Groom: Yes, I used to, but I'm so involved around the community now with my church and the women's club and the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center, that's my heartbeat. I spend a lot of my time with community service work.
Ronnie Groom: I used to spear sh primarily, but I've passed that stage in my life. I'll go do a little o shore shing. A little cast netting or bass shing.
Jane Groom: On occasion, I like to go to the hunting camp with him. It's a fun place to be because we get friends together and family and go up there and cook and eat. There's a little pond at our camp, so you can sit out by the water. We have a good time. One of my favorite things to do is just get in the car, the truck actually, and just ride around in the woods. I love the wild owers. I have a passion for wild owers. You can see wild owers in the woods almost year-round, if you know what to look for.
PC Living: What advice would you give other couples who might have plans to run a business together?
Jane Groom: When we're here, he's in charge. At home, I'm the cook. I'm in charge
Above: Ronnie Grooms (right) and Bradley Pitts (left) in the 1950s, skin diving pioneers in Panama City - read about their adventures in the co-authroed book "Shooter Giggers" (2014)
at home, he's in charge of the business. That's the way it works for us. There's no competition. He doesn't want my part. He doesn't want to do my work at home and I don't want to do his work here. I like for him to be totally in charge because that gives me more freedom to do my community service work. It works well. I cook a lot all over town, and he's used to supper being ready a home. It's an old business and we're still old fashioned people, he and I are.
PC Living: It is what made you successful. I think that's what a lot of people appreciate about C & G Sporting Goods...
Ronnie Groom: We have customers who come from all over the United States vacationing here. Every time they vacation, they want to come visit. We got to know them by name and they just love to come in and see and visit with us. Sometimes they shop. Most of the time they just like to come in. Especially the husbands, because the wives and kids go to the beach. So the husbands visit with us and they’ll spend several hours. We appreciate them. They write us letters. We've made a lot of friends from out of town.
One thing that's good about our business, and why I enjoy being here, we have a very good clientele. They are some of the nest people.
Jane Groom: Ronnie is a very kind person and he's not one of those people that just drives you. He's kind and he's generous and it's a pleasant working environment.
PC Living: How long have the employees been with you?
Ronnie Groom: Most of them for a long time.
Jane Groom: Several of them for more than 20 years.
Ronnie Groom: After 65 years, we've got the best crew we've ever had.
C & G Sporting Goods is located at 137 Harrison Ave. in Panama City
candgsportinggoods.com
www.PanamaCityLiving.com • January - February 2017 • 49