George’s Tack, Inc.
Store Owner: George McGuire
Store Manager: Lise Smith (pictured)
Location: Camdenton, Mo.
History: “The business began in Linn Creek in 1986, with horses, ponies really,” Lise Smith explained recently, standing at the front counter of George’s Tack at their current location, just south of Camdenton, Mo., on Highway 5. “George has three sons and after a family trip, where the boys enjoyed riding their cousins’ ponies, George bought some here in rural Missouri. To his surprise, people started begging to buy them off of him. He sold those and bought more and soon added used saddles to the mix. He started selling both ponies and saddles and then his customers wanted tack, feed and hats. He began to get dealerships with well-known saddle and tack companies, boot and hat companies, and it all grew from there. Garth Brooks and the Snowy River movies were both popular at the time and so that boosted the interest in hats, boots and Western-style clothes.”
Current Trends and Developments: “The 1993 and 1994 flood damage forced George and many others out of Linn Creek and we’ve been here in Camdenton for the past 18 years,” she continued. “The drought and the downturn in the horse market made for some necessary changes. We once had 200 plus saddles in here but now we’ve geared down and concentrate more on boots which sell all year round. We have also diversified into chickens, fresh eggs and cattle – cows and calves, mostly black as that’s what sells. We also have feed and hay. In recent years, we’ve sent a lot of hay to Texas, although George has always tried to make certain his loyal customers have all the hay they need first. It’s all still under the same umbrella. George says cattle are a lot easier to sell than horses. Horses are always a challenging business, no matter the economy.”
Future Plans: “’We’ve learned to always be looking for new ways to keep the customers’ interest going,” Lise concluded. “We’ll keep our eyes open. We’re always ready for something new.”
