GREENVILLE — It was an opportunity to pay it forward for Aaron Kruckeberg, the new owner of Club 7 Sports on the corner of Martin and Ohio Streets, well known for local school sports spirit wear and sporting goods.
The opportunity began last spring when long-time owners Jim and Debbie Shoemaker wanted to retire. Kruckeberg jumped at the chance and took official ownership on June 27.
As a life-long Greenville resident, Kruckeberg, along with Club 7 Sports staff, has been busy rebranding the business while keeping the tradition alive. The building was given a fresh coat of paint, new windows and awning, and even a new logo.
“It’s a constant work in progress,” said Kruckeberg, made possible by the experience of the Club 7 Sports employees. He spoke on their wealth of experience in design and equipment operation, and that “We’ve got an amazing team.”
However, it’s more than uniforms, stresses Kruckeberg. As they work to not only rebrand the business but spread the word on the vast assortment of products and services they provide. Club 7 Sports is known to provide school uniforms and custom apparel, but they also offer embroidery, engraving, memorials, screen printing, trophies, recognitions, as well as equipment, helmets, balls, shoes, gear, and bags.
They create and customize banners, wall clings, and vinyl, with a design team on hand, as well as provide sponsorship to various teams, including the Greenville Girls Softball Association.
“Which is really nice because my daughter plays softball out there,” said Kruckeberg. “I’m thankful for that. You really start to put into perspective how interconnected the community is.”
He shared that Club 7 Sports supplied all the trophies for the Darke County Junior Fair this year, and the Rolling ‘50s Car Show with trophies, dash plaques, and t-shirts.
Kruckeberg has a history with Club 7 Sports that goes back to his youth. He was active in several area groups including 4-H, the Darke County Junior Fair, and FFA. He graduated from Greenville Senior High School in 1999, Edison Community College in 2002, and Bluffton University with a degree in marketing and management, in 2005.
“Never would I have thought, I would have owned it,” said Kruckeberg on Club 7 Sports. “It is kind of unique how a path leads you to where you are, and you take time to reflect.”
Overall, Kruckeberg stresses the company wants to continue to build on the foundation that Jim and Debbie Shoemaker started. He noted the location provides a tremendous amount of traffic and they have great neighbors. They recently welcomed new sidewalks and paving along Ohio Street, the latter which includes a new bike path.
They work diligently not only with local organizations but county-wide, and every project is taken seriously because “someone has entrusted us,” said Kruckeberg. It could be a thank you mug or a plaque on years of service, to awareness t-shirts for a particular cause.
First and foremost Club 7 Sports is all about a quality product with customer service a close second, a “very” close second, says Kruckeberg. Something he has years of experience with given five-plus years with Sherwin Williams. The last 15 years growing the business his father started in 1993 – Classic Comfort Heating and Supply on Ohio 121.
Greenville and Darke County are near and dear to the heart, says Kruckeberg and again refers to the hard work of Jim and Debbie Shoemaker who started the business in 1993.
“They had 26 years just in Greenville to build a business and build a relationship with everyone in the area,” said Kruckeberg. “I told them we hoped to do them proud, and to do it right, to honor those relationships.”
Club 7 Sports is located at 803 Martin Street, Greenville. For more information, contact them at 937/547-0511 or via email at [email protected].
