Duluth plans to chop the competition

Duluth Trading Co. gave visitors to its store a taste of the logging life as part of its grand opening celebration Oct. 5.

This is the 26th store the company — known for its catalog and online sales of durable work wear — has opened.

As an added treat for the Avon location, 35455 Chester Road, company officials invited the D.L. Weatherhead Timberworks to give two lumberjack exhibitions.

Tyler Aldean and Nick Hastedt, both of Branson, Missouri, competed in the single buck which involves using a manual saw to cut a disk from a log as quickly as possible, throwing an axe at a bulls eye, the underhand chop which involves splitting a log with an axe while standing on it and a hot saw race which involved using souped up chain saws to make three cuts through a log. Hasted won the events. As an added bonus, Hasted and Aldean worked together on a chain saw sculpture of a small chair that was given to a young girl in the crowd.

John Schildt, manager

of Duluth Trading, said the company chose Avon because the Cleveland area has proven to be rather profitable.

Schildt said he didn’t know exactly how many people attended the opening,

but indicated the store had been crowded since it opened.

“It’s great to be part of the Avon community,” he said.

Pete Callaghan, 69, of Bellevue, was cheering

loudly during the exhibition.

Callaghan said he made the trek to Avon because of his love of the company.

“I’ve always followed Duluth and their catalogs, with all their clothing and

equipment and stuff,” he said. “So, when we heard that Duluth was setting up shop here in Avon, we had to come up and see it.

“We got some great clothes and shoes and we’ll be back again.”

ERIC BONZAR — THE MORNING JOURNAL Spectators watch as Tyler Alden, of Branson, Missouri, lines up his ax with a wooden target during the Duluth Trading Co.’s lumberjack exhibition Oct. 5, 2017. Duluth Trading Co. opened the doors on its 35455 Chester Road location in Avon on Oct. 5.