About Pokey's Hometown Sports
Justin Everett was on his way to board the school bus at Armuchee High School. It was
Saturday afternoon and he was scheduled to play in the baseball game later that day. An
unexpected delay resulted in his having to chase the bus down the drive-way toward the
street. This single incident inspired his close friends to tag him with the nickname, “Pokey” .
That handle has stuck with him through the years. Even now, you can find it painted in large
letters over the door to his sporting goods store in the Armuchee Village Shopping Center .
The fact that Justin was an outstanding baseball player landed him a scholarship at Shorter
College . While attending Shorter, he excelled not only in baseball, but also played basketball,
ran cross country, and was a member of the golf team. Justin finished Shorter with a degree
in business management and marketing. These credentials prepared him for the business
he now owns and has operated on Martha Berry Highway since February of this year. Prior
experience in the “sporting goods” trade has also contributed to his expertise. He worked for
Hibbett’s Sports for over four years before opening his own store.
Let’s now add a few more bricks to the strong foundation that Justin has laid in building his
own retail sports business. His grandfather, Henry Everett , and his partner, Alfred Carter,
owned a “five & dime” store in Summerville, Georgia. This single store soon became known
as “Super D’s” . Eventually, there were Super D’s all over five southern states. Of course,
Justin’s dad, Scott Everett , grew up in the retail business and subsequently provided advice
and assistance in the creation of “Pokey’s”. Add to the mix his mom, Gracie , and his wife Scarlett , Justin’s “Pokey’s” could certainly be termed a “family business”. October 31 st is not only a famous day on the calendar, but this Halloween marks Justin’s 25 th birthday. Such a young age for a man to have his own retail business. However, that’s not the end of the story. Justin is also a Re-Max Realty agent. That’s right. While you’re browsing through Pokey’s in order to find just the right rod and reel, you can also quiz Justin as to the availability of a house with your own fishing pond. I’ll bet he can locate that one for you too. The highest volume of retail sales at Pokey’s is in the area of nutritional supplements. Baseball wear and equipment ranks second. Other items include a wide variety of hunting and fishing gear, athletic footwear, and just about anything else you could imagine in the sporting goods category. When I asked Justin, “If you had a large microphone, what would you say to all the folks in North Georgia about the strongest element of your business”? He did not hesitate. He merely pointed to the back wall of his store. Printed in large letters is a verse from the Bible : “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) .
To all of you, from all of us at Pokey's Hometown Sports - Thank you and Happy Sporting!
Justin Everett
Pokey's Hometown Sports