Staff writer
When Marion County Ace Hardware opened in Marion, Mark Evans, the Airstream guy, probably was the happiest man in town.
Evans used to go out of town to purchase parts and supplies for the aluminum Airstream trailers he refurbishes, but now he can find them within a half-mile.
He said he would like to buy the tires he needs in Marion but can’t find a reliable supplier, so he gets his tires from a business in Hillsboro that keeps them in stock.
Evans and his family moved their business to Marion in April 2009 and built the shop at 1003 Batt St. in 2010. They recently added two new signs to the business.
Evans said he appreciated the fact that the city of Marion welcomed him to town and was eager to help him set up shop.
He does business with people from 48 states — repairing, buying, and selling the trailers. He ships them all over the world from ports in Texas, Florida, and California. Many are shipped to Europe and Australia. Most of his business is done via the Internet at airstreamguy.com.
Mark’s son, Derek, works with him along with several employees. On Monday, 17 trailers were on hand and in various stages of repair.