A Summers County Wish to Prevent the Young From Flying the Coop

Hardly a day goes by without someone lamenting how young people graduating from high school leave for college never to return.

Some call it a “brain drain,” a “diaspora,” losing the town’s young to bigger cities or states offering better employment opportunities. It’s true. The population in Hinton and Summers County is aging, leaving many with empty nests and broken hearts because their kids had no other choice but to leave to build a future for themselves and families.

The call to stay here, by young political candidates, older politicians and community leaders, grows louder, but the call is rarely answered. The lack of good paying jobs is a constant bleed-out of our young and talented. However, there are some rare cases of just the opposite.

Vivian Plumley’s grandson, John Adam Gilbert, is a prime example of a young man eager to become an outstanding member of his community, a role model and successful entrepreneur. John Adam credits his business skills to his grandmother, the former owner of Hinton’s Silo Ice. Silo Ice originated at the Silo on Greenbrier Drive near Bellepoint.

Though the business moved from its original spot, she continued to own and operate the ice business for over 40 years. Gilbert has taken that knowledge to the bank, saying he is “the recipient of all her experience and knowledge of running a business.” How is that working out for him? Just take a look for yourself.

In business three words are often used to project chances for success — location, location, location. John Adam Gilbert said the location that mattered to him has proximity to a piece of land and small business in Hilldale he inherited from his father, John Lawton Gilbert. John Adam graduated from Summers High School in 2013 and began his service to our country in the Army National Guard, field artillery, where he served for six years. While serving in the National Guard, he acquired his Journeyman Electrician License and gained two years of experience in the skilled trade. John Adam lost his Dad during those years and inherited Adam’s A-1 Storage, LLC in July of 2014. It was then that he couldn’t help but wonder, “what lies on the other side? Is the grass potentially greener?

Gotta Stop has been serving the community of Hilldale for over 40 years, but the business has changed ownership several times. At just 21 years-of-age, John Adam Gilbert decided to lease Gotta Stop, which was conveniently located across the street from Adam’s A-1 Storage.

In 2019, he purchased the building and has since made impressive and rather remarkable improvements and renovations one simply can’t ignore. He invested in a new roof, added new buildings and a growing inventory.

“The support from the community,” he said, “has been both appreciated and outstanding.”

Renamed Adam’s Gotta Stop, it offers many seasonal items like flowers, vegetable plants, pumpkins, fertilizer, mulch, soils and more. His business includes a successful Hunt Brothers Pizza outlet. Last year alone, he explained, his enterprise “sold over 16,000 pizzas” and he is now offering pizza delivery on Fridays and Saturdays within a 10-mile radius.

The colors of harvests have drawn many motorists to his business, and Gilbert says he is always looking for ways to successfully expand. Presently, the colors of fresh apples and cob corn are alluring. With deer season underway, Gilbert discovered he’d do well to offer a range of feed such as apple, cherry, and persimmon, whole corn, deer blocks and more. Cob corn and deer apples are also sold by the bag or the bin.

“I am counting on staying busy throughout November with these items until deer season ends.”