Rusty Palmer leaps out of the ashes

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — The smoke was still smoldering from Rusty Palmer’s fire-devastated business on Route 6 when he walked down the road a few hundred feet and bought the Tri-State Sports Center.

Since Tri-State, owned by Tony Fritz, sold the same kind of products, he immediately had an inventory. Palmer sells motorcycles, snowmobiles, four-wheelers and jet skis. With his 70 employees, Palmer took over the new building in a few days.

“I bought the Tri-State building in a couple or hours,” Palmer said. “I just walked up and talked to the man.” Palmer would not say how much the transaction cost. “I gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” he said.

Palmer’s building was totally destroyed by fire on February 21. Over 200 firefighters with 50 pieces of equipment labored for hours to quell the blaze. Route 6 was closed for the greater part of the day.

“If you say anything in your article, please say that I am enormously grateful to the wonderful firemen who worked on the blaze,” Palmer said.

Palmer would not comment on the cause of the fire. “I know what caused it, but I can’t say anything until the insurance people are finished,” he said.

“It was amazing,” said his secretary, Robin Lukonda. “We thought we would be out of work for weeks, but Rusty said he would take care of us. He sure did!”

Customer Rich Furrier of Newfoundland said, “Rusty is amazing. His customers come first. There was no break in service which was astonishing.”

“You have to know Rusty,” said supplier Dave Daub of Parts Unlimited. “He said it was just a little bump on the road. He’ll come back better and stronger.”

“When Rusty puts his mind to something, he makes it happen,” Lukonda said.

Palmer said he will not rebuild the burnt building. “I’m going to sell the property and sell this building, too.

”Palmer started his first business in Honesdale in 1968. The burnt building was the fourth move that he made .

Palmer, who runs his business with the help of his wife, Marie, and his two daughters, Melissa and Lisa Weber, plans to build his main business on the current Garage Mix Candy property, which he owns and which is located a hundred yards south of his current site.