The Economic Club of Florida presents Kevin and Kathleen Kelly

Please join The Economic Club of Florida for our monthly distinguished speaker luncheon featuring Kevin and Kathleen Kelly, co-owners of Kevin's Fine Outdoor Gear & Apparel. 

Florida State University graduate Kevin Kelly is the founder and visionary behind Kevin’s Fine Outdoor Gear & Apparel, one of the nation’s most respected sporting lifestyle retailers. Kevin’s Gun’s and Sporting Goods was Kevin’s first store, started in 1978 in Tallahassee, Florida and is still a thriving retail operation in Tallahassee, FL amongst the big box stores and the world-wide web. A lifelong outdoorsman and passionate advocate for the sporting tradition, Kevin is a Lifetime Member of Ducks Unlimited and Dallas Safari Club, as well as a proud supporter of Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy and its conservation mission and other conservation groups.

Shortly after graduating from Florida State University, Kevin launched the business with a small collection of firearms, many consigned by family and friends. What began as a passion for firearms and the sporting life steadily evolved into a full-service outdoor and sporting goods business. An important part of the company’s foundation was Kevin’s mother, Betty Kelly, who worked alongside her son from the earliest days of the business. Known for her warmth, hospitality, and genuine love for people, Betty became deeply adored by customers, employees, vendors, and friends throughout the sporting community.

As large big-box retailers entered the market, Kevin and his wife, Kathleen, made a defining decision, rather than compete broadly, they would focus on becoming a true niche destination centered around fine firearms, exceptional customer service, and the authentic sporting lifestyle they personally lived every day.

In 1997, Kevin and Kathleen opened the Thomasville, Georgia store, which later became home to the renowned Kevin’s Gunroom, now recognized by sporting enthusiasts across the country and globally. In 1999, the company launched its website, followed shortly thereafter by the introduction of the Kevin’s private label brand in the early 2000s.

Under Kevin’s leadership, the company intentionally chose quality over scale, building two exceptionally merchandised stores staffed with knowledgeable employees and investing heavily in customer service, product expertise, and a strong omnichannel presence through kevinscatalog.com. Today, Kevin’s serves customers throughout the United States and in approximately 40 countries worldwide.

 Kevin remains deeply involved in the business and continues to live the lifestyle that built the brand. Whether helping customers in the stores, spending time in the Gunroom, traveling internationally for business, hunting and fishing adventures, or building lasting relationships with vendors and friends around the globe, Kevin’s passion for the sporting life continues to shape the culture and authenticity of the company nearly five decades later. He is also a member of the Charlie Russell Riders, a respected group of men whose membership includes artists, business leaders, and outdoorsmen who share a deep appreciation for Western heritage, conservation, horsemanship, art, and fellowship. The annual gatherings and friendships formed through the organization reflect many of the same values Kevin has carried throughout his life and career. 

Above all, Kevin’s greatest goal in life has been to share his love of the outdoors, encourage younger generations to experience and preserve the sporting tradition, and help make the world a better place by lifting up others. Throughout his career, he has sought to do this not only through the business itself, but also through mentoring employees, serving customers, supporting conservation, and investing in his community.

 Florida State University graduate Kathleen Kelly is co-owner and a driving force behind Kevin’s Fine Outdoor Gear & Apparel, helping transform the company from a regional sporting goods business into a nationally recognized sporting lifestyle brand with customers across the United States and in nearly 40 countries worldwide.

 After marrying Kevin in 1991, Kathleen recognized an opportunity to help shape the future of the growing business. Together, she and Kevin saw the importance of becoming a niche company focused on authenticity, expertise, and the sporting lifestyle they genuinely lived. In 1992, Kathleen launched the Kevin’s catalog as a test initiative, an ambitious step at the time that would ultimately become one of the foundational pillars of the company’s long-term success, even in today’s digital-first world.

 Kathleen has always believed digital innovation would play a critical role in the future of retail. In 1999, Kevin’s launched kevinscatalog.com during the early days of ecommerce, built on large, clunky computers and simple table-format web design that looked nothing like the sophisticated online experiences of today. That early commitment to digital growth and adaptation helped position the company far ahead of many traditional retailers in the sporting goods industry.

Today, Kathleen oversees the Kevin’s brand, marketing initiatives, and warehouse operations in Thomasville, Georgia, while continuing to lead both traditional and digital strategies for the company. She is passionate about embracing technology throughout the business, from ecommerce and digital marketing to content creation, design, customer insight analysis, and prospecting, and now allowing AI to assist us with these tasks. She also takes great pride in the company’s many long-term employees, exceptional vendor relationships around the globe, and the loyal customers who have supported Kevin’s for decades.

A Georgia resident, Kathleen is also deeply committed to civic leadership and philanthropy. She serves as a Commissioner for the Florida Governor’s Mansion Commission and is a member of the Board of Trustees for Berry College. She also re-established and chaired the Vashti Auxiliary for many years, helping support and enrich the lives of children in state custody through community engagement and charitable initiatives.

Kathleen deeply values the lifestyle and purpose behind the business. Her connection to the sporting world carries personal meaning, as she lost her father at the age of six. Quail hunting was his favorite sport. Today, Kathleen often reflects on the remarkable path that led her into the quail and sporting lifestyle industry, believing there is no coincidence in where life ultimately takes us.

Alongside Kevin, Kathleen has helped build the company through hard work, perseverance, successes, and setbacks. Together, they believe in becoming true experts in their field while remaining grounded in purpose, giving back through conservation efforts, charitable organizations, mentorship, and events like the Kevin’s Game Fair, where supporting others and preserving the sporting tradition remain at the heart of their mission.

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