Aces of Trades: Gwen Bordenkircher owns not one but two businesses in West Lafayette

WEST LAFAYETTE – She has deep roots in the area. She likes to be involved.

“As a kid, I was always busy and involved in many activities,” recalled Gwen Bordenkircher. “I learned to play the piano but didn’t play very well since I didn’t like to practice. I played clarinet from fourth grade through 10th grade in the school band. I took various projects in 4-H. My favorite was horses. I attended the county fair many times, competed at horse shows, and rode in parades. I attended church, Sunday school, Girl Scouts, and Junior Leaders. I learned how do almost everything necessary to operate a small grocery store since my parents owned the G & L Grocery Store in the 1970s. But I didn’t dream I would have an event center or a guns and goods store.”

Today, Bordenkircher owns both Kirk Street Event Center and Gwen’s Guns and Goods, LLC.

“I opened Kirk Street Event Center in 2017,” she said. “I wanted to offer an affordable place for people to gather and celebrate. Gwen’s Guns and Goods, LLC opened April 3, 2024. Coshocton County has a lot of hunters and competition shooters and I wanted to offer them an option to buy their guns, ammunition, and gear.”

Bordenkircher grew up in Roscoe until the family built a house on County Road 10 in 1969. She graduated from River View High School in 1976, then from Ohio State University with a degree in elementary education.

“My husband, Steve, and I co-owned General Recovery, Inc. in West Lafayette,” she said. “One day when I was driving home from managing worker’s compensation claims I noticed the old post office building in West Lafayette was for sale. My wheels started spinning. The village at one time had talked about having a community center and I thought since they didn’t have one, it would be good idea to open an event center. So I bought the building and the Kirk Street Event Center began holding events. I wanted a place that was affordable for most people.

“It’s amazing,” she noted, “to see the happy faces of people of all ages when they’re celebrating a birthday, bridal shower, baby shower, graduation, family reunion, or gaming together. My family has celebrated birthdays and holidays there too.

“As for Gwen’s Guns and Goods,” Bordenkircher added, “my family and my husband’s family had many military veterans and hunters in them. I grew up respecting gun owners and their guns. I’ve had guns for years and sometimes it has been difficult to ammunition for a few of them. Hopefully, I can provide the ammunition that’s needed by others so they can hunt or target shoot. Maybe a young hunter will get their first gun, ammunition, and cleaning kit. Maybe a farmer will be able to keep the groundhogs from making more holes in their fields.”

Betsy Gosnell is a friend and executive director of Leadership Coshocton County.

“Gwen is an entrepreneurial woman with a an-do attitude,” assessed Gosnell. “Rather than sitting back and enjoying the golden years, Gwen did what she does best – found an unmet need in the community and opened a business. Truly she’s a woman who, when she sets her sights on accomplishing a goal, she succeeds and exceeds. I applaud her efforts at owning not one, but two small businesses in West Lafayette.”

“As a graduate of the class of 2020 from Leadership Coshocton County and a participant in the Think Tank meetings,” Bordenkircher responded, “we talked about being involved in the community. I decided to be one who invested in my community and one who keeps my properties cleaned up and fixed up. I’m pleased I have a place to gather and a place that provides guns and goods. As my daughter said, ‘Mom, I’m so proud of you for doing something you want to do.’”

Kirk Street Event Center is located at 113 S. Kirk St. and Gwen's Guns and Goods is located at 103 W. Main St. in West Lafayette.

Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at ctnews@coshoctontribune.com.

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Aces of Trades: Gwen Bordenkircher owns not one but two businesses in West Lafayette