About Swain’s
Interview with the owners by Sequim This Week (STW, Brenda Hanrahan)
Knowing what area residents need to keep them outdoors and enjoying their favorite pastime is something that comes naturally to Swain’s Outdoor owners Glenda Swain Cable (GSC) and Dick Cable (DC).
It seems as though outfitting North Olympic Peninsula residents with the latest and greatest clothing, gear and outdoor supplies is something Glenda’s family – the Swains – have always done. Dick knows his way around merchandise as well and has served as chairman of the board of directors for a leading supplier of outdoor gear.
This busy couple even met during an outdoor activity – skiing at Hurricane Ridge – when they were in college and have been enjoying adventures together ever since.
STW: When did you open Swain’s Outdoor?
GSC: We opened the Sequim store as Swain’s in 2001, and it later became Swain’s Outdoor.
My father, Cliff Swain, started Swain’s 50 years ago, so I grew up around the business.
STW: How has the business changed since you opened?
GSC: When we moved two years ago to our current location [551 W. Washington St.], we went from a large space to a much smaller space, so we really had to focus and decide what products we wanted to carry.
Dick Cable: Having less space in the store and a smaller storage area really made us think about what products were needed and wanted by our customers.
The lack of warehouse space made us more efficient because we can only order what we know will sell quickly.
The arrival of the big-box stores in Sequim also brought about a change in our business. You simply have to be creative and flexible.
We carry more specialty products and try to have items and brands that people can’t find anywhere else.
For example, we are the only local distributor of Boy Scout uniforms, badges and books. When we found out no one was going to carry these items locally, we took the steps necessary to be able to offer the items our local Scouts would need.
My son, Grant, and I are both Eagle Scouts and wanted to support Scouting programs. We are providing a service local people need and bringing customers through our doors at the same time. It has been a win-win situation for us and our customers. We are constantly reinventing ourselves in small ways to try to stand out in the growing crowd of shopping options.
We focus on providing great customer service. Our employees are very knowledgeable about the products we sell and go out of their way to help customers. We take the extra time to help someone find something in the store, make sure clothing or shoes fit or to help customers select a gift.
STW: What other businesses do you own and operate?
DC: We own Swain’s Outdoor Port Townsend. We purchased this store in 1996 just after Cliff passed away. We also own Swain’s Dollar Store and More in Port Townsend, which we opened in 2004.
GSC: I have First Love Farm, where I raise, breed and sell miniature horses.
We incorporated my love for horses into the logo of Swain’s Outdoor. You will see it on the sign, our bags and other store merchandise. Our model for the logo was my award-winning horse, Awesome. In 1999, Awesome was selected as the High Point Sire Stallion in the Northwest.
Our kids named him Awesome, because he has such a great personality and won several awards.
STW: Are your children involved any of your businesses?
DC: Grant is the manager of our Sequim store. He is a hard worker, and we enjoy having him so close. Emily works at the Boys & Girls Club in Sequim.
STW: What do you do in your spare time?
GSC: I am up early every morning to feed the horses and spend a lot of time with them. I used to show horses, which is something I really enjoyed and would like to get involved in again.
DC: I belong to the Kiwanis Noon Club in Port Angeles and am a past board chairman for World Wide Distributors, which is our largest distributor. I also serve on an advisory board for the Peninsula College School of Business.
We are both avid volksmarchers. In fact, we have been active in the Olympic Peninsula Explorers, and Swains’s Outdoor serves as a starting point for local walks. We plan our vacations around what volksmarches are offered, because they are often in very scenic places.
Each year we get out the book and decide what area of the nation we would like to see and then find a walk that we like. Each volksmarch takes you through a beautiful part of the country and often features some type of historical lesson about the area, so you really get to know the place you visit.
STW: How did the two of you meet?
DC: We both grew up on the Peninsula. Glenda’s family lived in Port Angeles, and my great grandparents settled in Port Townsend in 1873. Glenda and I met on Jan. 2, 1971, at Hurricane Ridge.
I was home for winter break from the University of Washington and went skiing with a friend. Glenda went skiing with one of her friends. Our two friends, who knew each other from high school, bumped into each other and went off skiing together, which left us standing at the top of the hill, so we spent the day skiing together. Later that day, I took my friend and the girls we were supposed to be going on a double date with home to Port Townsend and turned around and drove back to have dinner with Glenda.
We’ve been together since we met on the slope that day. I’m really glad I went skiing that particular day and that our friends abandoned us.
GSC: We’ve been married 35 years and have two great children and our animal family – two dogs, a cat, a few riding horses and about 25 miniature horses.
