PROFILE: Moor and Mountain - Don't Leave Home Without Seeing Them

The men of outfitters at 3 Railroad Avenue may have missed an opportunity to become beer importers, but they still do what they do well, retail the best outdoor equipment available.

If you are from Andover or the towns nearby and you hike, cross-country ski, snowshoe or canoe, you know Moor and Mountain. If you don't, stop by, sit in the old wooden snowshoe binding chairs and watch the way professional outfitters go about their work.

Sold by people who use it, Moor and Mountain, run by owner Al French and his trusted and knowledgeable store manger, Burt Batcheller, has outfitted individuals for treks into the White Mountains in New Hampshire, bird watchers for walks at Phillips Andover Academy and people for the climb up Everest. And every place in between.

Moor and Mountain sells, rents and repairs outdoor equipment of all kinds. They rent snowshoes and cross country ski sets for weekend trips with a Friday pick up and Monday drop off. They offer some repair work on some equipment. Burt specializes in canoe repairs done right in the shop. They also can mount cross country ski and snowshoe bindings.

Al French opened the first Moor and Mountain with a partner, Tom Stout.

"We opened our first store in the summer of 1966 in Concord. We opened it then to see what we could do as we were interested in building our catalog business," Al French said. They made $12 their first day, and it took off from there.

French explained that their first store front was suppose to be a summer season store only. But business quickly grew and they never closed.

They sent out their first catalog in 1967. They have covers of several of their early catalogs on their web site, http://www.moor-mountain.com/aboutmoormtn.htm

After several iterations and two stores, one in Concord and one in Andover, the partnership that began the company, Thomas Stout and Al French split when Stout decided he wanted to pursue other business venues.

"I still hear from him about once a year, and he's still out there off the grid," Al said.

But Al stuck with the business.

Not long after they opened Moor and Mountain, the partners learned about cross-country skiing, and began importing some of the first equipment.

"We did so well with it that we opened a wholesale importing business for it and ran that up in Chelmsford," Al explained.

And this is where the beer comes in.

As their business grew, so did their cross country ski import business grow. Al and Tom became regional and in one case, national wholesalers. They purchased their equipment from Norwegian manufacturers and wholesalers. After several successful years in the business, the Norwegian sources invited Tom and Al and their families to Norway for vacations.

During one of these visits, a Norwegian manufacturer of beer offered to send Tom and Al 50 cases of a beer they enjoyed drinking. They accepted the gift and shared their beer with friends and family, but decided to stay with the business they knew best, outfitting.

The company continues to service local and international clients who want the best gear for their trips into the wilderness. They don't tell you what you need; they explain what you should look at, and why it's the right product for your fun in the woods.