Ryan Root
Contributing Writer
In a nook, tucked into the bustling downtown area of Naperville, Ill. a running store has become an influential force in one of the country’s best running communities. However, the success of Naperville Running Company (NRC) would not be possible without the man in charge, owner and founder, Kris Hartner. “Naperville wouldn’t be the same place without Kris,” store manager Kyle Brady said.
The initiatives taken by Hartner go far beyond running a booming business in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. One of the prominent actions that Hartner has taken to improve the active community recently in Naperville is paying to clear a more than 2 miles of trail during the winter, which normally goes without appropriate maintenance until the snow simply melts away. Hartner has put forward his own money in coordination with the Naperville Park District to provide the community with a safe, snow-free place to run during the harsh winter months.
Hartner does not seem to worry about the money but rather looks to value the relationships and bonds formed from his endeavors. A lot of times, NRC’s open-store events are about getting brand exposure, but that all seems secondary to having fun with whatever group of locals shows up. Whether it’s a jog around the downtown area that eventually finds it’s way to a bar or a pancake breakfast for anyone that joins in on a longer run, Hartner looks for the fun in everything he does.
The inner workings of the NRC business can be hectic at times. With patrons and employees hustling around the small store things can get crazy, but in the stock room there is a lone, quiet office. With the causal environment that he has set up I just walked back and was greeted by the second-in-command, Nick Hird. He doesn’t have a cemented title in the ranks of the NRC quasi-corporate ladder but seems to take care of almost any logistical need the company could ever want. Hird has been with Hartner building the business since 2001, just a year after NRC opened its doors for the first time.
Loyalty certainly seems to be one of the foundations of who Kris Hartner is. “You know he’s got your back, you know?” Yonatan Mascote, a new sales associate at NRC, said. “I’ve seen lots of people come through, and Kris seems to just know everyone,” Mascote said. Indeed, as I observed from one of the fitting benches, I saw Hartner jump from group to group, smiling, laughing, and making every customer feel welcome. His smile was infectious; every person who tried on shoes or talked with an employee when Hartner came up would mirror his wide grin.
What makes Kris Hartner so popular with everyone he comes into contact with?
Jordan Kremer, an employee at NRC, said that working for Hartner is “Not like any other experience, he’s really laid back. It’s more like he’s your friend than your boss; until he has be the boss.” All the employees, sales associates and managers alike share this view. “You have a certain amount of respect for him,” Kremer said. Hartner is a celebrity around the community for all his involvement in creating a more active and healthy environment, but his stardom stretches beyond the city limits of Naperville. “You never realize how much of a big deal he is. Every [running]brand seems to know him by name. Its like he’s a celebrity,” Kremer said.
