- July 3, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
PORTLAND, Texas — A pilot turned pastor wants to keep his place in a rapidly shrinking industry.
These days, everyone shops online. That’s hurt several types of retail businesses, one of the hardest hit is hobby shops.
There’s one in Portland, which has been there more than a decade, its owner is now looking for someone who shares his passion to keep the business going.
“I think we could have kept going if that hadn’t hit so bad,” said Jim Sturgis.
Sturgis is talking about COVID-19. The pandemic forced Sturgis to close his store, Jim’s Hobbies. As businesses reopened, his volunteer help simply couldn’t help anymore.
“The fella that was helping me, he just went down with back trouble, he had to go to (the) Audie Murphy (VA Medical Center) for his back,” said Sturgis. “Things just fell apart, for the last year really, he was trying but he couldn’t keep up.”
Opened in 2008, Jim’s Hobbies sells models. Model trains, planes, and automobiles, of…
