Meet Charlie Neumann | Retail store owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charlie Neumann and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charlie, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Our town, Kanab, Utah is situated in close proximity to Zion, Bryce Canyon, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. In 1994 when we relocated to Kanab there wasn’t anywhere within 80 miles that you could buy outdoor gear, books, or a decent cup of coffee.

We have people from all over the world who come into the store for hiking information and equipment needs. An increasing amount of our visitors are unaware of the physical challenges and extreme weather conditions that can catch you off-guard. Our Staff is knowledgable and eager to help and in many cases enhanced the visitor experience.

We use organic coffees and milks in our espresso bar and try to use product vendors such as Patagonia and Oboz who give back to the planet in their unique ways. Sustainability has always been a factor in choosing the products that we sell.

Willow Canyon is well known for our community Swap Meet where we invite locals and River Companies to bring any old gear, books and outdoor apparel that they don’t need and sell it. We have a clearance sale along with it and will donate a portion of our sales to our favorite charity Grand Canyon Youth which gets kids on the river and engages them in service projects such as invasive species eradication.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My first life was as a geologist , mostly in my hometown of San Diego. We started having kids and realized that the world was moving in on us. It was hard to get a wave to myself! It the early seventies when I got home from Viet Nam, there was 10% unemployment and I got a job in Kanab, Utah building a steel powerline that went from Page, Arizona to L.A. That was my connection to Kanab.

When it came time to leave the city we looked at Prescott and Flagstaff but liked the small town atmosphere and friends in Kanab.

We struggled to make ends meet for at least 10 years, then for various reasons, people started to discover our beautiful natural landscape and the Parks. Visitation soared and with that came the need for more staff.

Staffing has always been difficult and with the housing boom in our small town, affordable housing has become a huge issue. Perhaps this may sound like a broken record that we are all tired of hearing, but it is real. We have been fortunate in that we have a motivated staff that likes our work environment.
Our Mission statement:
“Willow Canyon Outdoor Company provides unique goods and services that encourage people to discover, explore, understand, and appreciate the cultures and natural wonders of the Colorado Plateau.”

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When friends and family visit there is no end to the exciting natural wonders we have in close proximity. A favorite is a kayak down Glen Canyon for an overnight on the beach at Horseshoe Bend. We have endless possibilities for car camping and mountainbiking on the AZT (Arizona Trail). Round all that out with a nice daytrip in Zion at a not secret but well… sorta glyph panel that’s hard to find with the subject Desert Bighorns nearby!

Best Friends Roadhouse has been a Saturday go to with live music and Coyote Sky’s vegan tacos, but if you want a great gourmet experience we’ll head to Sego restaurant and Chef Shon’s incredible food pairings!

For lunch I have to take folks to the Rocking V for some gonzo banter with my Pal Victor and the famous Kanab-a-dabba-doo burger.

First Fridays (of the month) will find us at the Raven’s Heart Gallery with owner’s Cyrus Mejia and Gary Kalpakoff showcasing 2 of their artists with demonstrations.

When Winter doldrums are starting to peak in February, Kanab Balloonfest wipes it all away! We always sponsor one of the 40 hot air balloons that take over the skies with their unique envelopes. Then the Saturday night battle of the bands with the balloons taking over the town as they line up on Center street and fire up the glow.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
We wouldn’t exist without the support of the community in and around Kanab. We can always count on our local tribe to get us through the slow times. Many newcomers have told me that coming into The Willow was a deciding factor that convinced them to move here.

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Website: www.willowcanyon.com

Facebook: Willow Canyon Outdoor Company

Image Credits
charlie neumann, Barry Glazier