Nick Potts, owner of Fox Mercantile, was inspired to step up when Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina this past September.
“We wanted to help, like everybody, and we were just trying to find our place in that,” said Potts. “Footwear being our business, we outfitted over 200 firefighters and first responders with boots. We also raised over $6,000.”
The donations were provided by local donors, and the boots were delivered and distributed to those in need at no cost.
“We visited eight to 10 fire departments personally. It was super cool to give back to the community. The people were incredibly grateful. Seeing grown men cry was pretty touching,” Potts reminisced.
“We still have some leftover money because we’ve outfitted most everybody who needed it. We advertised the fundraiser by explaining that we’d donate anything left over to the community,” noted Potts.
Potts’ interest in supplying footwear to first responders and those in need came naturally. Potts has run Fox Mercantile at 73 W Palmer Street in Franklin for the past 10 years. Born and raised in Franklin, Potts went to Western Carolina University for Construction Management, building houses before he changed his direction.
“I was working in residential construction and when I went to buy work boots, I drove all over Western North Carolina only to find either good service but a bad selection, or bad service but a good selection. I thought ‘There’s an opportunity,’ and then started writing a business plan,” explained Potts. Other than a co-sign from his father, Potts built the business by himself, opening the doors in July 2015.
Besides work boots and hunting boots, Fox Mercantile also sells western apparel, hats, coffee, men’s hygiene, and more.
“We are looking for a bigger location to allow us to grow. We’ve maxed out the space here,” said Potts.
Potts envisions a department store model for the expanded version of his store, like the People’s department store that used to occupy space on Main Street.
“I would like to offer some men’s and women’s clothing outside of western and work wear [and add] formal and casual wear,” elaborated Potts.
While Potts works on plans for Fox Mercantile’s expansion, he has not lost sight of the needs of others. Although his original fundraiser for Hurricane Helene response has now ended, he is working on disbursing the remaining money and redirecting it to rebuilding efforts, drawing on his knowledge of the construction industry as a guide.
“The boot donation was good for a while, but now there’s a greater need for homes and heating,” explained Potts.
Potts plans to continue contributing to the reconstruction efforts this spring and helping others get a step into the right direction as the region rebounds from this historic storm.