by Alissa Skelton
The Crete News

It has been 25 years since KH’s Sports Shop & Apparel opened as Crete’s first athletic apparel store. Owners Kevin and Liz Henning said it has been a good run and they plan to serve Crete for years to come.

The Hennings believe their stability and commitment to Crete keep the store running. The couple is dedicated to keeping Crete alive and growing. That is why the store has expanded from selling sports apparel. Based upon customer demand, the business offers screen printing, a floral shop, coffee and gift shop merchandise.

“We’ve always had great support from the community so we put the customers first and listen to their wants,” Liz said.

Kevin manages screen printing. He thinks it’s important to have personal interaction with customers and have competitive prices.

“I’ll match it or beat it,” Kevin said referring to the competition’s screen printing prices.

Kevin’s competitive spirit goes back to his days on the Doane track team where he set the long jump record. Kevin’s love for sports has always been apparent. As a child, Kevin knew he wanted to open Crete’s first sports shop.

Kevin and Liz met when they were on the Doane track team. The couple later married and had two boys, Keenan and Kieran. Liz fully supported her husband’s dream and helped start the business in 1985.

The location of the store moved three times before settling at its current location, 1206 Main. With each location change, the business added more space to its store.

In early 1985, the couple opened up the first sporting goods store on 13th St. This location was in a small 10 feet by 10 feet building.  

In late 1985, the business moved to 1225 Main, where Super Latina is now located. At 1,500 sq. feet, this location gave KH’s more room, but Kevin was crammed in the basement, or as his wife Liz called it “the dungeon,” to operate the screen printing part of the business.

So in March 1991, the business moved to its final and current location at 1206 Main. In 1997, the business expanded again with the purchase of the neighboring Ben Franklin building. The expansion added more space to the store than the couple knew what to do with. The additional space allowed Kevin to buy a new computerized screen printer that can print as many as 400 items per hour versus the old machine that printed 100 items per hour. But Kevin didn’t throw the old machine out. He kept it.

Since 1997, KH’s Sports Shop has continued to expand with the additions of the floral, coffee and gift shop.

No matter where the store is located, the owners said they concentrate on giving the best customer service to keep people shopping in Crete. KH’s prides itself on generating business based on word of mouth. The Hennings hope that more Crete natives will shop at their store and keep passing on referrals.

“Being downtown has made us successful,” Kevin said. “Without the support of the town we wouldn’t be here. We’ve had a good 25 years.”