Clinton News-Record, 1986-07-23, Page 481
Paoe 2
The mastermind
behind Hully Gully
Since moving to Stanley Towns -hip in 1969,
Randy Collins, the owner of the Hully Gully
Sports Centre, has made the evolution from
working as a farmer to becoming a suc-
cessful businessman.
The idea of a business came to Mr. Collins
and family in the early winter of 1969.
"When we moved here from Maidstone,
near Windsor, to further our farming, there
was so much snow around we couldn't
believe it," Mr. Collins said. "That's where
we got the resort idea."
Therefore, in 1969, while theywere trying
to figure out what to do with the snow, they
decided to build sugar shanties, and a hall
for dances, and to have trail rides and
skating. This was their first money making
venture.
"We have always looked at the negatives
(snow) and turned them into positives," he
said.
This first venture lead to the eventual
sales of snowmobiles. Their sales began in
January of 1971, but not many were sold in
the first year.
At the time the Collins' still ran and work-
ed their farm. "We were milking cows and
selling snowmobiles at the same time," Mr.
Collins said laughing.
.Their snowmobile business peaked in 1979
and they were the largest Arctic Cat dealers
in Canada for 1978-1979. According to Mr.
Collins, "We got there by being involved and
trying harder."
Some of his hard work included taking a
number of night courses for business at the
University of Western Ontario.
He explained that through a natural pro-
Profiles
gression they started selling motorcycles in
1973.
"We decided quite a few years ago that we
would have a big ball of wax; we have
rented, sold, and serviced what we sold, we
had a place we could use and we started a
house league to teach people to ride," Mr.
Collins said. "We were also involved in the
'Timmy rides, and the first Timmy ride rais-
ed $27,000."
"We were involved, and always have been
involved in our sport," he said. "Most of our
time was taken up with our sport."
The motocross track at Hully Gully, which
is now widely known, was begun in 1973. "It
was one way of doing business, and another
way of bringing people to Varna," Mr. Col-
lins said. "One day we had 7,000 people
here:"
With the combined attraction of the track,
store and service shop, Mr. Collins
estimated that they bring approximately
50,000 people to Stanley a year.
Aside from bringing people to Stanley, he
said the track and store employ many
township residents.
"On race weekends we have local kids
working in scoring, flagging and in the kit-
chen," he said.
There are also seven or eight people from
the township who work at Hully Gully
regularly, and, he said, "I think we are the
largest employer, in the township."
A big moment at the track took place in
1983 when the Canadian Motocross Cham-
pionships were held there, and it was
covered on the Wide World of Sports. "I was
Turn to page 4•
This is some of the Collins family who have helped to make Hully Gully a success. They
are, from left to right, Gord, Chuck, Audrey and Randy Collins. Missing is the Collins'
daughter Becky. (David Emslie photo)
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H
appy 150th birthday Stanley;