Mickey's Makes A Home on Concord Road

Hidden away behind , a newcomer to the local business scene brings its levels of tradition for those that take the time to look.

Mickey's Sporting Goods, located on Concord Road just before the Route 495 underpass, has been making a new name for itself after moving to Westford last October following 24 years in Lawrence. 

The business, which was purchased by fifth generation Westford resident Bill Richards from the original "Mickey" while attending college at UMass Lowell, has gained a reputation for its skate sharpening, embroidering jerseys, and selling other specialized sporting items.

Despite the move, Richards believes that reputation kept his original customer base largely intact while he built business ties to his hometown and nearby Littleton.

"Everybody in the Merrimack Valley knows us, and when we started here it was probably 50/50 between Lawrence and Westford when it came to customers," said Richards. "But now I think it's gotten to 80 percent here and 20 percent there. We still see people we've known for years, but it's much better here in Westford.

Richards, a 1983 graduate, also appreciates what he calls a more mellow atmosphere to the success here in town, citing times in Lawrence where he was stabbed by screwdrivers and seeing his car stolen nine times.

And in turn, Richards and his colleagues at the store have aimed to give back to Westford, with fundraising initiatives for local youth sports ranging from donations for new fields to nearly $15,000 a year for local hockey teams.

Moving forward, Richards hopes to see growth in customers from Westford and Littleton, and despite his store's location, he believes that he can compete with other sporting goods stores in the area.

"We have good service and good price, and we're seeing more and more of the same people stopping by," he said. "Retail isn't as strong for us as the larger orders, but it's slowly getting better every day."