Two sisters from Hinton, Kathy (Goins) Mills and Lee Ann Goins, have started a new business. Together they run Hinton Outfitters, a unique souvenir business.
Every product Hinton Outfitters sells features the small town where the sisters grew up and surrounding parts of the county. Additionally, Mills said their developmental process always includes as many West Virginians as possible.
“Every product we offer comes from the genuine desire to share our beautiful home town with a wider audience. We strive to use West Virginians in every step of our development process– including artists, writers, printers and craftspeople from the great mountain state. When we go outside of our region for goods and services (it is sometimes inevitable), you can be sure that these will still be products 100% produced in the USA.”
According to Mills, Hinton holds a special place in both sisters’ hearts. She said, “We were born and raised here, and we are enormously proud of our hometown.” Mills also said, “Hinton is a special place! Settled at the confluence of three rivers, steeped in rich history, and filled with the friendliest locals you’ll ever meet, Hinton is stimulating and relaxing at the same time. How many places can make that claim? Also, Hinton is growing! We have been so inspired by local business owners who have moved here and taken a chance on making this place not only their home but their livelihood. Entrepreneurs bring new jobs and stimulate economic development; we want to be a part of that effort.”
In every endeavor, there is first an idea and according to Mills, the idea for Hinton Outfitters has been culminating for some time. She said, “We’ve talked about opening a store in downtown Hinton for YEARS.” She also said, “We have been watching with excitement the past several years as the local tourism industry has grown. We want to offer unique products to visitors that feature the beauty of Summers County. We also want to create specialty items for locals. That’s why our tagline is `Reminding visitors why they came, and locals why they never left.”
Many siblings would find it difficult to work together, but not the Goins sisters. According to Mills, “It’s our dream job.”
“We share the same passion for our hometown, and the same aesthetic when it comes to designing original items that reflect the unique culture of the area. One of us tosses out an idea, the other refines it, and it all comes together pretty quickly. We are absolutely on the same wavelength and it makes working together easy and fun.”
The sisters want to work toward expanding their business. Currently, they do not have a permanent location; however, that is something they plan to change. When talking about what the future holds Mills said, “Expanding the business! We started with one product, our Hinton Travel Poster, that we sold at a Second Saturday event in Hinton. Based on the feedback we got, we believe there is enough community interest to create a sustainable souvenir shop. We have 13 more specialty products en route to us right now, so we are scouting for permanent retail space.”
Starting a business is no simple task, and the sisters want to acknowledge all of the Hinton business owners who paved the way. Mills said, “We want to acknowledge the role that other small business owners in the town have played in providing us with the inspiration and confidence we needed to finally take the plunge. Crafting a business plan, making financial projections, and then investing your own money is daunting and risky. Thankfully, other people had already paved the way for us by showing that there is a real interest in new retail spaces in Hinton. With luck, we can help create a chain reaction of new business development.” She went on to say, “We’d also like to thank the great people at WV Hive for their help as we were setting up our business. They have provided expert advice and unwavering support for Hinton Outfitters.”
Learn more about Hinton Outfitters on the official Facebook page.
