Page 66 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2016

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY pawn star
DAD’S PAWN
Those hard to nd items aren’t hard to nd any longer
story by Lynn Lofton photos by James Edward Bates
TLEFT: DAD’S SUPER PAWN owner Kevin Riley shows off the largest rearms dealership in the Southern region. MIDDLE: DAD’S has the largest jewelry selection on the Coast. RIGHT: RILEY plays a Peavey guitar at the store in Gulfport.
he pawn industry has changed tremendously country,” Riley said. “We’re also a large jewelry dealer and over the past 10 years, according to Kevin one of the largest check cashing businesses in the state.” Riley who’s been at the forefront of much of As part of his mission of service and keeping consumers that change. He recalls the 1980s when he uppermost, Riley has three meetings with employees each and his dad, Jack W. Riley, opened their first week on how to handle issues. “We have 20 employees who pawn business on Broad Avenue in Gulfport. are full time and have full benefits,” he said. “We have
At the time there were vague pawn laws on the books in longevity; that’s important. We’re the A-team.”
Mississippi and fraud was rampant.
“We worked with state legislators and law enforcement
officers to enact laws to make the industry more reputable,” Kevin Riley said. “Protecting consumers was the first concern along with protecting ourselves as businessmen. The more comprehensive, consumer-oriented laws, along with television programs that highlight the business, have improved the reputation of pawn shops.”
Riley has a solid background in the industry. Six months after opening their initial business, he and his dad purchased Long Beach Pawn, which was operated by John M. Riley, Kevin Riley’s brother. Kevin Riley ran the original business and a second location which opened in 1987. There was also one venture that failed, which he describes as “a great experience.”
The Rileys opened Dad’s Super Pawn on Highway 49 in Gulfport in 1989. “Two years later, my dad handed me the keys and said ‘sink or swim,’” Riley recalls. “I can’t thank my family enough for giving me the opportunities and supporting me. That includes my wife Kim too.”
The business went from half a million in yearly sales to more than $1.5 million the next year, and is now between eight and 10 million. “We’re probably the largest shop in Mississippi and one of the largest firearms dealers in the
He singled out two employees, Darryl Meuller and Tim Sternberg, saying, “There’s no way I could run the business without them.”
A significant part of Dad’s Super Pawn is what they give back to the community. Riley estimates it at $10,000 each year in contributions to schools, police and fire departments and individuals needing help with health care expenses. The business also does its part to protect consumers by working closely with all area law enforcement agencies.
The most unusual item Riley has had come into the business was dinosaur bones, the largest was a bulldozer, and the most expensive was a $100,000 firearm. “You truly don’t know what will walk through the door on any given day,” he said. “It’s the most fun you can have and I love coming to work every day.”
It’s a family business that will continue. Riley’s sons J. Kevin Riley II and Jeff McGill are now involved.
66 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2016
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Dad’s Super Pawn
3125 25th Avenue, Gulfport 228.864.2602 www.dadssuperpawn.com