New name, but same gear shed </MCC HEAD>

Story last updated at 8:48 PM on Wednesday, July 8, 2009

New name, but same gear shed

Redden Marine solidifies brands, renames its three Alaska locations

By Aaron Selbig
Staff Writer

The Kachemak Gear Shed, the big marine supply and sporting goods store out East End Road that, like the Heritage Hotel or the Salty Dawg Saloon, has come to be a landmark of Homer, is no longer the Kachemak Gear Shed.

As of a couple of weeks ago, when workers tore down the sign and replaced it with a new one, the Kachemak Gear Shed now is officially Redden Marine Supply of Homer.

"We're celebrating our 50th anniversary this year and we just wanted to solidify the brands," said Craig Hamilton, sales manager for Redden Marine Supply, the Bellingham, Wash.-based company that has owned the Kachemak Gear Shed for many years.

"Commercial fishermen are one of our strongest segments and they move around a lot. We've got a lot of them who spend a lot of time in your neck of the woods so we felt it was important to unify the Redden Marine name," said Hamilton.

Redden Marine Supply, co-owned by Randy Chiabai, of Bellingham, and Homer resident Kenneth Quinn, has three Alaska locations -- in Anchorage, Cordova and Homer.

All have now been renamed.

Redden Marine Supply was created in Bellingham in 1959 as the John Redden Net Company and specialized in the manufacture of commercial fishing nets. In 1968, the company shifted toward the retail end of the commercial fishing supply industry and has branched out significantly since then, offering more than 40,000 products in fishing gear, boat parts, tools and even outdoor apparel.

"Changing the name of the company and the addition of specialty divisions became necessary as the company evolved and diversified. The Bellingham location remains the center of our operations but our Alaska locations offer convenient locations to our northern customers," said Chiabai. "We are truly grateful to our vendors and customers for supporting us all these years."

In Homer, however, the name change felt a little bit like a death in the family.

"It's very hard for all of us," said Vicki Steik, bookkeeper for the old Kachemak Gear Shed. "We still answer the phone 'Gear Shed' and we're still the Gear Shed in our hearts. We're hoping that when people give directions they'll say Redden Marine but we know that, to the old timers, we'll always be the Gear Shed."

The change has been a costly one, added Steik, with the company having to change its bank accounts, letterheads and multiple signs and logos all over the store.

The company will not, however, change personnel at its Homer location or make any other major changes in the way it does business here, said Steik.

"It's not going to change what we do or the way we do it. Our company is doing fine and we're all happy to be here. We just want people to know we'll continue to work hard to satisfy the fishermen, the visitors and everyone in between," she said.

Aaron Selbig can be reached at aaronselbig.@homernews.com.