When Harry Solomons bought a sports store in 1976 it was what he describes as an “impulse buy”. With no experience of either owning or operating a business, Harry convinced the bank to lend him $5,000 and then raised a further $4,000 by selling his car. The rest, as they say, is history as Harry then set about growing his store into one of the biggest individual and well-known retail outlets in Australia.
After immigrating to Australia in 1973 at the age of 26, Harry spent just over three years as an Activities Officer at Long Bay Prison. It was during one of his buying expeditions for the prison that he discovered that his favourite sports store was closing down … and he decided to buy it.
Harry immediately changed the name to Kingsgrove Sports and also changed the store into one that would specialise in the supply of sporting equipment for two sports only – soccer and cricket.
A gifted cricketer in his native Sri Lanka, cricket was then, and still is today, Harry’s passion, so specialising in cricket was a natural choice.
In the early stages, Harry’s first wife managed the business during the day while he continued to work at the prison at night. This lasted for a few years until Harry realised that his little sports retail outlet was becoming a fulltime business for him.
As his store gained popularity, the brand known as Symonds approached him for assistance with promoting and marketing their product. It was through this association that Harry learned about helping and sponsoring sporting teams, clubs and individuals.
Harry has supported and sponsored some of Australia’s best known and admired cricketers over the years, a bond that has extended with the establishment of a Cricket Academy and he continues this support and sponsorship of future cricketers of Australia too.
Harry contributes his success to ensuring that his business was not a seasonal one. He said they would specialise in cricket in summer and then specialise in soccer in winter. Harry said that this enabled them to focus on sourcing the best brands and products for the two codes to pass on to their customers.
Providing a reliable mail order service to cricket and soccer clubs along with a history of sponsorship, especially at grass roots level, were also contributing factors to the success of Kingsgrove Sport, according to Harry.
As the business has grown and technology has enabled his business to reach more than the local community Harry set up an online store that produces a catalogue for his core business of cricket and soccer, and expanding to hockey. With five outlets across Sydney, Harry and his Kingsgrove Sports outlets appear to have no signs of slowing down as he strives to further increase the demand and popularity of a sport he has loved and been involved with since the age of six.
Head Office
Kingsgrove Sports Centre
179 Kingsgrove Rd
Kingsgrove 2208
Ph: 9502 4533
Kingsgrove Sports “Menai”
The Family Sports Store
Shop 7 / 814-822 Old Illawarra Rd
Menai 2234
Ph: 9543 5200
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