Who is Fran Johnson?
He is the founder of the company.
Was he ever a pro?
No, he did caddy at Springfield Country Club. A professional in sales, he'll still sell any club out of his bag!
How did the business get started?
Fran used to do income taxes (in addition to working at Western New England College as the controller). He had a client in Chicopee who used to sell equipment out of his garage. In 1975, Fran had the opportunity to purchase the inventory. For five years, he ran the business out of his garage/cellar in West Springfield, MA.
Wasn't the company name Nevada Bob's?
Yes, we were part of the franchise from 1984-1994.
What does the "Headquarters" in the current name represent?
"Your golf (& tennis) headquarters"; We are members of Golf Headquarters, a national buying group.
Does Fran still work in the business?
He is called out of retirement occasionally. With the 30th anniversary this year he will be in the store for some of our events. He will usually come in anytime his tee time gets rained out. He retired in 1996 and loves being retired! The company transitioned from 1st generation to 2nd at that time.
Is Fran Johnson's a family business?
My brother Val works full time. My "extended" family includes those that started with my father over 20 years ago. We have fun!