For more than 40 years, the Reeves family withstood economic recessions, big box competitors and a shrinking parking lot at their family business, Reeves' Sport Shop on West Chestnut Street in North Franklin.

Still, in the spring of 2006, the family shuttered its shop doors, frustrated by tax incentives offered to larger retailers and wary of a new Bass Pro Shops superstore being planned for South Strabane.

But this week, the three generations of the family reopened the business, which now specializes in hunting and hard-to-find archery equipment.

"The days that you could sell guns, clothing, fishing and archery supplies are over," said company Vice President Bill Reeves, 47, of Morris. "You need to specialize today."

So, the family is doing just that, selling and servicing exclusive lines of archery equipment that can't be found at any big box retailer.

"They won't sell to chain stores because they feel it diminishes their product," Mr. Reeves said of manufacturers, such as Matthews and Hoyt, and Bowtech.

Reeves' will also offer service and maintenance of archery equipment, along with sales of crossbows, approved earlier this year by the state Game Commission for use in deer and bear hunting. Previously, crossbows could only be used by disabled hunters.

The business was started in 1966 by Clarence and Barbara Reeves of South Franklin after her parents, George and Francis Morrow, operated an antique shop and service station at the site.

"My dad built this building and lived in the house next door," Mrs. Reeves remembers.

The shop lost some of its parking in the 1950s and again in the 1990s due to road widening projects for new developments that received government assistance.

It was hard to take, but the family "fought through that," Bill Reeves said.

The Reeves' children, Chris, Bill and Susan, carried on the tradition, along with their children, who are now learning the business.

This time around, Bill Reeves believes the business will be better equipped to survive the challenge of local big box retailers, such as Gander Mountain -- just down the street at Washington Crown Center -- and Cabela's near Wheeling, W.Va.

He said Gander Mountain sapped about 13 percent of the shop's business when it opened in 2003. Then, Cabela's took a little more when it opened a year later. Add in a Bass Pro Shop and it could have been the perfect storm.

Also down were sales of fishing licenses, due to the closings of popular Dutch Fork Lake in Donegal and Duke Lake in Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County. But, a proposal to reopen Dutch Fork Lake was recently approved and received a $4 million state grant.

"We're more hard-core now," Mr. Reeves said. "We don't have the casual stuff or the knickknacks."

For now, Mr. Reeves said the shop will no longer carry firearms, though the business may renew its license to sell firearms once market oversaturation eases and guns and ammunition become more available.

He hopes to re-establish the regional customer base he previously enjoyed from the Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Ohio areas.

The family just completed an overhaul of the shop's interior, and though it's not here yet, Bass Pro Shops hasn't withdrawn its promise to eventually come to South Strabane, township Manager John Stickle said.

Mr. Reeves expects to thrive with archery enthusiasts.

"Archery is so technical, it gives us a nice niche," he said.

The shop is planning a grand opening for July 10 and 11 and is open every day except Sunday and Monday.

First Published: June 18, 2009, 10:15 a.m.