Located at 1004 S. Washington St., Gerrells opened its doors in August of 1972, at that time sharing the newly built structure with Playless Shoe Source and a small restaurant and ice cream store. The original owners were Jay Gerrells and Don Roed of Devils Lake and Doug Theroux of Grand Forks. Theroux managed both the retail side of the business and the institutional "team portion" of Gerrells. Roed and Gerrells sold their interests to local owners in the early 1980s.
In 1974, Gerrells Sports Center became Nike's first Grand Forks retail outlet.
Hockey quickly became a focal point for the retail operation. Skate sharpening and a complete service department brought customers from throughout the Dakotas and Northern Minnesota. Gerrells expanded across the alley and opened Hockey World aimed at the hockey and figure skating consumer.
In 1988, ownership changed when Brad Westrum bought out Theroux's interests. Westrum had joined the corporation in 1980 specializing in team sales.
In 1989, Hockey World pioneered a new retail program in the region, when they began offering "skate leasing." The program has been warmly embraced by customers throughout the area and has seen steady growth over the past 15 years.
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In January 2000 when their neighbor, Payless Shoe Source, vacated their retail space. Demo work began shortly after. The next few months saw the transformation to two retail stores into one. Things have certainly changed at Gerrells Sports Center and Hockey World, yet the most important aspects and goals of the business remain the same - a steadfast desire to provide patrons top-quality products and faithful, knowledgeable service. - Submitted by Gerrells.
