Koskelin Weaver reflects on 30 years at The Tackle Box

The Land O’ Lakes Chamber of Commerce recently recognized Karen Koskelin Weaver of The Tackle Box with a Legacy Award for her outstanding service and dedication to the area during her 30 years running the sporting goods store at 4267 Highway B in Land O’ Lakes.

A Sayner native, Koskelin Weaver graduated from Northland Pines High School. Her late husband, Steve Koskelin, grew up in Eagle River and graduated from high school there before earning a business degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The couple had two children. Although Steve’s career took the family elsewhere for a time, Koskelin Weaver said their hearts remained in Vilas County, where their parents lived.

Koskelin Weaver and Steve purchased The Tackle Box from Tom and Jan Horne in 1996. The Hornes had owned the store for 19 years, a milestone Koskelin Weaver never expected to surpass. Now the store’s eighth owner, Koskelin Weaver has operated The Tackle Box for 30 years.

“Our first year was very challenging since we bought the store in the middle of August, when most of the summer income had come and gone,” Koskelin Weaver said. “It gave us time to learn about the building and the retail work — at least for me — and prepped us for the next season. The Land O’ Lakes people were very welcoming and even shared information about the lakes, streams and fishing.

“We would work a full day, pack up the boat and hit the water to fish until dark, or until we couldn’t stand the mosquitoes any longer. We only did that until mid-June, as the store became busier for us.”

As the business grew, Steve became more involved in local organizations, including serving as president of the chamber of commerce, while Koskelin Weaver took on more of a behind-the-scenes role in their partnership.

“The store flourished a little more each year,” she said.

In August 2002, just six years after the couple purchased the business, Steve died in a multivehicle crash near Wausau.

“I decided to continue with the store as it was my home and livelihood,” Koskelin Weaver said. “The community was very supportive and encouraging.”

Carrying on

Over the years, Koskelin Weaver hired several local high school students who grew up in the area and were familiar with outdoor sports. The challenge, she said, was that they eventually graduated and moved on with their lives.

That community support was reinforced in the fall of 2004, when Koskelin Weaver was at a buying show in Minnesota and received a call that a car had struck the store around 3 a.m.

“By the time I got home six hours later, employees and families had the mess all cleaned up and the door secured,” she said. “My faith in this small town was reinforced, and I am forever thankful.”

Around the same time, Dave and Mary Schingen, owners of Dave’s Sport Shop, announced they were selling their business and that it would no longer operate as a sporting goods store. Koskelin Weaver saw an opportunity to pursue an expansion she and Steve had previously discussed and decided to enlarge The Tackle Box’s sporting goods area. The expanded store was up and running by spring 2005.

Koskelin Weaver had considered selling the business by 2007 but decided to give the newly expanded store more time. Since then, she has weathered changes in the economy, political climate and technology, as well as the pandemic.

“I’m still here thriving,” she said.

Along the way, Koskelin Weaver has also made a point of giving back.

“I’ve tried to give back to the community that has been very supportive of my journey in retail,” she said. One way she has done so is by awarding scholarships to 23 Northland Pines High School students to help with college expenses.

In 2014, Koskelin Weaver married Kirk Weaver, who grew up in Lower Michigan and had family ties to the Upper Peninsula. After working in construction for several years, Kirk joined her at The Tackle Box in 2015. The couple continues to volunteer in the community that Koskelin Weaver said has supported them over the years.

“After 30 years, it is time for us to move into a new chapter in our lives,” Koskelin Weaver said. “We have six children and 12 grandchildren that we’d like to see more often. We’d also like to do some traveling and, of course, spend a little more time outdoors.”

“They say you need to leave home sometimes to appreciate what you have,” she added. “I do believe that.”

Koskelin Weaver celebrated her 30th anniversary as owner of The Tackle Box on Saturday, Aug. 15, welcoming the community to the store for cake to mark the milestone.