FAYETTEVILLE — Two young entrepreneurs have opened businesses in this Fayette County town, both with inspiration from their grandfathers. Andrew Adkins’ guitar shop, Leland Guitars, and his line of handmade guitars are named for his grandfather Leland “Pete” Adkins. Adam Stephens named his bike shop, Marathon Bicycle Co., after the company that his grandfather and great-grandfather founded. The interest Adkins’ grandfather took in his music-making made a big impression, he said. And Stephens’ grandfathers’ work ethic, which drove the founding of his coal bits business, achieved legendary status in the Stephens family, he said. - advertisement - <A href="http://phpads.cnpapers.com/adclick.php?n=accac376" target=_blank><IMG alt="" src="The Charleston Gazette - Business_files/benfranklin0301.gif" border=0></A> Growing up, Stephens said, he always heard stories about how hard his grandfather worked. “My parents would always tell me, ‘If you want something, you have to work hard.’” Leland Guitars is housed in an 1889 building that was once home to the Fayette Feed shop. Adkins said he plans to preserve the original lettering outside that advertises the old feed store. “I love this building,” he said, and jumped at the chance to move in as soon as it became available. “I fully envisioned it as it turned out,” he said. He divided his building into an area for his workshop, a music-teaching room and a retail space with a stage for live music. At one time a river-rafting guide, Adkins was trained as a luthier, or instrument maker, in Vermont. Now he makes guitars to order. One was designed for a player who has shoulder pain; another was constructed using copper frets taken from the fuel line of a chainsaw. “Guitars are my passion,” Adkins said. “When I see someone playing one of my guitars on stage, it is so cool.” |