A few years ago, a pair of brothers turned their passion into a business and now business is booming.
In 2008 Tommy Isaacs and his brother, Brian, opened Tri-Cities Gun Depot.
“We’ve always been into guns, both of us, and it turned into an expensive hobby so we decided to do this,” Tommy Isaacs said.
But it wasn’t just an enthusiasm for their hobby that prompted them to start the business; Isaacs said he and his brother also saw something lacking in other gun shops they had been to.
“We would go places and the customer service was horrible,” he said. “They acted like they were doing you a favor by waiting on you.”
When they decided to open their own store, the brothers wanted to make sure those visiting their store didn’t feel the same way, and they take pride in the service they give their customers.
“We probably know 50 percent of our customers by first name,” Isaacs said. “I guarantee if you are in the market for a gun, you will leave here with one because I will do what I can to sell you one, as long as you’re legally allowed to own it.”
That dedication to service pays off, Isaacs said, adding their customers often refer other people to the store.
“Word of mouth is where we get most of our customers from,” he said.
Having a wide selection of products also helps set Tri-Cities Gun Depot apart from other stores, Isaacs said.
“We carry Class 3 weapons which includes silencers, fully automatic and short barrel rifles,” he said. “We also do a lot of tactical accessories which are big.”
“We can help pretty much anybody with anything when it comes to a gun,” Isaacs added.
The store also offers cleaning services for firearms and some repair service. “It depends on how in-depth it is on repairs,” Isaacs said, adding he can order replacement parts for weapons as well.
Before a customer leaves the store, Isaacs said he and his brother want to make sure they understand and are comfortable with their choice of firearm or other products. “Firearms can be dangerous,” he said, adding they have a few places they recommend for customers to take firearm safety classes or the state required handgun permit class.
Last year, the brothers were able to expand their store to include an even wider variety of firearms, ammunition and accessories.
“We just had a little bitty shop when we started and we have just grown really well,” Isaacs said. “Our sales are up probably 25 percent from last year.”
The support from the community has been tremendous, Isaacs said. The two try to return the favor by sponsoring local athletic teams like Little League and by purchasing banners to support local schools.
“We just try to give back to our community,” he said. “We’d like to thank everybody for continuing to support us.”
In the 2015 Elizabethton Star Readers Choice Awards, Tri-Cities Gun Depot was selected as the Best Gun Shop.
“Thanks for voting us as best gun shop again,” Isaacs said. “We are going to continue doing what we’ve been doing to serve you.”
Tri-Cities Gun Depot is located at 1760 W. Elk Ave. in Elizabethton. Find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tricitiesgundepot.