GREENFIELD — It’s the end of an era for McCleerey’s Sporting Goods in downtown Greenfield, which has been a go-to source for countless Hancock County families for generations.
It was with mixed emotions that owner Steve McCleerey shuttered the store for good on Saturday, Oct. 16, writing the final chapter for the shop his father opened when Steve was a kid.
The family business had just celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer.
E.C. “Mac” McCleerey opened the shop on Aug. 1, 1971, in an historic brick building at 22 S. State St., just west of the Hancock County Courthouse.
Mac passed the store on to his only son, Steve, who remembers working there as far back as when he was 12 years old. He started working there full-time in 1982, and bought the building with his dad in 1996.
McCleerey said a number of factors contributed to his decision to close the storied shop, which has been his second home all these years.
The 11-week shutdown last spring at the onset of COVID came right at his busiest time of the year, and global supply chain issues have made it challenging to receive products ever since.
The lengthy closure of State Road 9 for construction projects didn’t help either, he said.
In early October, he posted notice of a clearance sale on social media, sharing that he’d soon be closing his doors. The community he’s served all his life responded, snapping up nearly half the store’s remaining merchandise the following day.
“We did over 186 transactions the day after I posted that, and more than half of my inventory disappeared,” said McCleerey, who will forever be grateful for the community’s support over the years.
“I finished my career up just short of 40 years doing what I loved. The most rewarding thing has been the relationships I have built with our customers — the players, the coaches, the schools. I will cherish those forever,” he said.
Many say that McCleerey and his family-owned small business will be sorely missed, having served as a Hancock County staple for young athletes for half a century.
“McCleerey’s Sporting Goods has been a huge supporter of everything sports in our community and beyond,” said Jared Manning, athletic director at Greenfield-Central High School.
From spending countless hours sizing and fitting student athletes in schools throughout the county, to re-stringing tennis racquets and repairing worn-out baseball gloves, the McCleereys were the go-to local connection for sporting needs, he said.
“Steve has always gone above and beyond to get us what we have needed, or has pointed us in the right direction to get it,” Manning said.
As his final days at the shop drew to a close, McCleerey still showed his trademark high energy and good humor in his week at the shop, interacting with the customers who stopped by to make a purchase or simply wish him well.
Amanda Maynard stopped by with her teenage son and daughter, both active athletes who have been shopping at McCleerey’s all their lives.
“I’m pretty sad he’s leaving. I get all my sports stuff here,” said her daughter, Lilly, 13, who plays softball and basketball
She and her brother Gavin, 15, who both play for Eastern Hancock schools, enjoy the friendly atmosphere at the downtown Greenfield store.
“I’m especially going to miss the gumball machine on the counter,” said Lilly, who much preferred McCleerey’s cozy shop to bigger retail stores.
Her brother — who wrestles and plays baseball and football — was busy looking through the remaining stacks of shoes in search of a certain pair.
“They don’t have my size,” he told his mom, when McCleerey quickly chimed in.
“Those sizes run small,” said the shop owner, leading the teen back to the stacks of shoes on a table at the back of the store. Within minutes, Gavin had the perfect size on his feet, as McCleerey bent down to press a thumb onto the tip of the toe to assure a proper fit.
Gavin grinned from ear to ear, happy to have the new pair of shoes he wanted, as well as one last interaction with the man who has supplied an ongoing stream of sporting goods and support over the years.
As McCleerey now eases into retirement, it’s exchanges like these that he says he’ll cherish the most.
“It’s been a honor to serve the community all of these years,” he said.
