New Smyrna trading post has Keyes to success

Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
NEW BUSINESS — Another facet of Keyes Trading Post in Smyrna is that they also do taxidermy for a hunter to preserve their prize. Lenny Keyes, Jr., right, stands next to one of his own trophies he stuffed. With him are, Jonathan Keyes and Lisa Keyes.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    SMYRNA — Lenny Keyes, Jr. is still running Keyes Paving, but is also opening up a Trading Post in Smyrna on Sept. 1 as an extension of his passion for hunting and in memory of his father, Lenny Keyes, Sr.
    “My dad and I always talked about doing this,” said Keyes. “I’ve always been into hunting and fishing … our whole family has. I saw the building, figured we would do it.”
    Keyes Trading Post, located at 3436 Route 2, is in a perfect location to draw in outdoorsmen traveling Route 2 and Route 212 heading to camps. The Trading Post was formerly the Stewart General Store.
    The Keyes have redone the old hardwood floor and added new wainscoting to spruce up the interior.
    “It was quite a mess,” said Jonathan Keyes. “We have done a lot of work.”
    On the center beam is a photo frame filled with re-construction pictures showing the work from the beginning.
    “Yea, we’ve done a little bit of work,” smiled the elder Keyes.
     The Trading Post is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and will stock a variety of guns, ammunition, knives, clothing to an array of hunting scents.
    “We will have new and used guns,” said Keyes, who will stock Remington, Winchester and Savage brands.
    With bear and moose seasons just around the corner, Keyes Trading Post will keep inventory on hand to meet a hunter’s need in the field, while offering competitive pricing.
    “We have all lines of hunting items,” said Keyes. “We’ve just starting getting a lot of the items in. But, if a customer comes in and wants to order something, we will be more than happy to order whatever they would like to have.”
    Since Keyes’ father was a veteran, they will be offering a percentage off goods purchased by a veteran.
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
STOCKING — Jonathan Keyes busy himself stocking shelves with inventory as it arrives at Keyes Trading Post in Smyrna. The store will open Sept. 1.
    Keyes Trading Post is also a weigh-in station for bear, deer and turkey. They will be selling hunting and fishing licenses, renting four-wheelers and snowmobiles, along with being able to fill out the legal paperwork for  someone who wants to purchase a gun from someone else.
    “This way, a person will know it is on the up and up,” said Keyes. “The paperwork will be done the way it should be.”
    Keyes, the founder of the Southern Aroostook Chapter of the Turkey Federation has always been involved in outdoor sports.
    “It’s just something our family does,” he said. “I don’t want to see it die out.”
    Jonathan added, “He’s always had me out hunting and fishing, It is just a family thing we’ve always done.”
    At this time, Keyes Trading Post will be operated by the family – Keyes, his wife Lisa and sons Lenny Keyes III and Jonathan.
    “If we need to hire someone on then we will do that,” explained Keyes. “But, right now, we are going to run it as a family.”
    When walking through the Trading Post door, the store features one side of counter area with guns and knives on display, with the other half being shelves filled with wool caps, orange hunting hats, gloves to camouflage/hunting clothing and camping equipment.
    “We have some new bear and moose calls,” said Keyes. “We have gun cleaning kits, lighted hats to new scents for bear baiting.”
    The scents are named jelly donut, bacon or anise.
    Jonathan jokingly said, “I probably would come to it.”
    A highlight at Keyes Trading Post is that it will be kid-friendly.
    “We have adult to kid sizes,” said Keyes. “We want to make sure we have kids’ stuff. We have small wool pants to hats and gloves.”
    After all, Keyes has a 2-year-old granddaughter who will be looking to join the family tradition.
    In the next few weeks, the Keyes will be busy unpacking more product to stock.
    “We are just waiting for everything to come in,” said Lisa.
Houlton Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
GRAND OPENING — The grand opening of Keyes Trading Post in Smyrna will be Sept. 1. Standing in front of their store front are, from left, Jonathan, Lisa and Lenny Keyes, Jr.
    Keyes Trading Post will host a grand opening on Saturday, Sept. 1 and are planning to have free hot dogs and beverages, along with door prizes.
    “We still are paving, seal coating and line stripping,” said Keys. “We do taxidermy in the winter and this store goes hand-in-hand with that business.”
    But, most importantly, Keyes is fulfilling a dream in honor of his father who died three years ago.
    “Dad and I always talked about this,” he said. “I didn’t want to say I should have tried to do it. But, I can look back and say I did it with my family.”