Local Businessman ‘Reels’ People in With Good Conversation

Greg Freeman was 9 when his parents began  in Yorkville, back when many considered the city a small farm community.

Nearly four decades later, Freeman's Sports is still flourishing as a staple for area fisherman and families seeking an excursion on the Fox River.

And although the city’s population boom has helped keep Freeman's Sports successful, Greg Freeman misses the days when Yorkville was a sleepy hamlet.

“Welcome to Naperville West,” he said. “It’s no longer a small town.”

Located at 129 E. Hydraulic St., Freeman's Sports provides local canoe and kayak rentals for daily and overnight fishing and river exploration, as well as complete rod and reel kits, and several brands of metal detectors. Rod construction and fly tying classes are offered as well.

Freeman said besides an expansion, little has changed about the store since his parents opened it in 1972.

“We’ve just gotten busier,” he said.

And although the economy certainly plays a part in a business' success, for proprietors like Freeman another large part is the weather.

“In the winter, it’s dead,” he said.

He expects patronage to begin picking up in June, July and August.

Recently, as the weather has become warmer, sales of metal detectors have been picking up at the store. And those metal detecting enthusiasts have been happy to come back and report their findings to Freeman.

What are some of those treasures?

“A lot of jewelry and older coins,” Freeman said. “And some newer coins.”

During fishing season, anglers come in to swap stories with Freeman. In the summers, he gets to hear about their adventures on the Fox River. He keeps a pot of coffee on for anyone who wants to share a tale over a cup.

Like any entrepreneur, Freeman said there are challenges to running a business. For him, it’s “paying the taxes and the fees,” he said.

But the most rewarding part?

“The people,” he said. “A lot of them have been coming in for 25 years. Our only advertising anymore is word-of-mouth.”

For more information about Freeman's Sports, visit  www.​freemanssports.​com.