Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Ganim.
Hi Dave, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in Cleveland. My father was a professional tennis player who won the Ohio State tennis championships in the late 50s. He introduced my older brother and me to tennis at a young age. After my parents divorced my mother bought us racquetball racquets and a private lesson. We were 12 and 9 respectively. That gift changed the course of our lives. We traveled the country competing. My brother won Nationals and represented the United States in three Olympic events winning Gold in each of them.
Although My partner and I won Nationals when I was 25, I never had the success playing that my brother did. At age 11 I began working at a local Racquet club in Cleveland called THE BACK WALL. Throughout high school, I managed a club. I watched as the sport exploded in the 80s and 90s and then declined in popularity with 7 Back Wall clubs closing on the same day. In 86′ I moved to Columbus to attend OSU. I became the club Pro at THE CONTINENTAL ATHLETIC CLUB.
In my senior year of college, I started a business in the medical industry with a few partners. In 94′ I bought the business from them and changed the name to Ganim Medical. We specialized in selling remanufactured equipment to hospitals and surgery centers nationwide. I spent the next 28 years building that business. Ganim Medical was acquired in 2019 by a group out of Chicago. In 2021 that company was sold again to a PE group from Indiana. These two sales enabled me to retire in January 2022 at age 53.
The night I retired I went to bed with my wife and she said ” this is great, now that you retired, we can work on projects around the house” My future flashed before my eyes and the PICKLE SHACK was born the next day. I converted one of my medical warehouses into 6 indoor courts. We opened on June 17th, 2022 to a crowd of over 400 people. It is racquetball all over again. There are national chains of Pickleball Restaurants but very few dedicated Pickleball clubs for players to enjoy.
As of October 1, 2022, we have over 1400 players at our club and have just completed the construction of 6 additional courts. We offer classes, leagues, and open play to beginners and advanced players alike. Our courts are the best in the country. They have a proprietary cushion technology that no there facility east of the Mississippi offers. They are unbelievably easy on the knees and hips. They separate us from other clubs, hands down. Just like the BACK WALL, we plan to have several locations throughout the region.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
With the continuing rise of Pickleball popularity, big-money developers are building facilities near us. One is more of a TOP GOLF model where the bar and restaurant are equally as important as the Pickleball. Although it may not be as profitable, I believe for the sport to flourish and avoid the same fate as Racquetball, we need dedicated facilities, similar to tennis, That are easily accessible, affordable, and offer to program for all ages.
We started a group that donated paddles, nets, and balls to local schools to help the grassroots movement along. Our members are special. They love coming to the Pickle Shack and we love having them. We become part of their lives and we never take this privilege for granted
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love to create new things. I am smart enough to know when I am not smart enough and surround myself with quality people to help execute our vision. Our people set us apart. We are all laser-focused on one goal, the enjoyment of our members. We value, above all else, their happiness. We are young and will make mistakes along the way but this will only make us better as we grow.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
We are in the entertainment business. Our focus on creating a culture of family and fun and working at it every day is what separates us. Our slogan is PICKLE SHACK, WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR GAME. It is not just a slogan, it is a culture. We want our members to feel welcome because they are
Pricing:
- current membership is $79.00 per year
- 8/hr per person for court time
- 614-333-9420
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pickleshack.com
- Instagram: @pickle. shack
- Facebook: @Pickleshack
- Youtube: @Pickle Shack
