Pack Rat Construction to Begin by May

Scott Crook, the owner of the Pack Rat Outdoor Center in Fayetteville, plans to begin construction on a 15,000-SF building by May to serve as the new home of his business. The building should be completed by November, he said.

The outdoor clothing and equipment store is currently located in a 6,000-SF building that Crook owns at the corner of Township Road and Green Acres Road.

The new Pack Rat will be on 2.25 acres of land Crook owns along Gregg Avenue across Sunbridge Drive from White Oak Station. Pack Rat will occupy about 13,000 SF of the new building. The rest will be leased, possibly to a fly fishing business based in Little Rock.

Crook said the new store will be equipped with a climbing wall with simulated ice section.

Despite an influx of outdoor stores into the area, Crook said, 2000 was the best year in the 28-year history of the Pack Rat with sales of $1.25 million (a 2 percent increase over 1999). Crook said profits more than doubled in 2000.

Crook said the Pack Rat carries upscale outdoor equipment compared to many of its competitors that sell mid-range goods.

Crook thinks the Pack Rat will thrive but not all of the new stores will survive.

“There’s going to be a culling out of people pretty soon,” he predicted.