Shelton’s loss is Ansonia’s gain, Mayor David Cassetti proclaimed Wednesday at a ribbon-cutting for New Headings, a business that outfits travelers for trips to the “far-flung corners of our world.”
The business — now at 200 Main St. in Ansonia — began on Shelton’s Canal Street in 2002, the brainchild of Mark and Peggy LaMont, former employees of a travel agency based in Fairfield County.
“We did not start in the apparel business. We’re from travel,” LaMont said at Wednesday’s ceremony.
Around the turn of the century, LaMont explained, many travel companies expanded their offerings to more exotic locations — Antarctica and the arctic, safaris to Africa, trips to the Galapagos Islands.
But going to those places is a little different than your typical vacation.
Travel agencies would send customers lengthy lists of stuff they needed to bring and basically said good luck finding it all.
“It was like a scavenger hunt,” LaMont said. “They didn’t know where to send their travelers to get these items.”
That’s when the light bulb went off in his head.
“I said ‘I could start this, I could help them,’” LaMont said.
The business’ online store offers several “Get Ready” packages that give travelers a one-stop shop for what they’ll need in exotic locales.
Like the “Polar Necessities” combo, which features heavy-duty arctic sport boots and smartphone-friendly gloves.
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The company created relationships with 60 travel agencies, developing online stores for each of them where travelers could get what they needed for their trips.
The business’ first location was at 223 Canal St., a warehouse in Shelton, where customers consulted with them over the phone, online, and via mail order.
“It didn’t invite itself to any kind of a retail opportunity,” LaMont said.
The Shelton building is being demolished to make way for residential development, so LaMont asked Tony Mavuli, a friend and local property owner, if he had any open space.
200 Main St. — at the corner of Kingston and Main streets — was a perfect fit.
“Tony showed us this space, we said ‘Done,” LaMont said. “It’s beautiful. It’s perfect.”
The business will host travelers by appointment and also open up for publicized shopping events while still maintaining its core business of online and phone orders.
LaMont thanked Cassetti — who accessorized his suit with a wide-brimmed outdoors hat for the occasion — for welcoming the business to the city.
“Thank you for being here,” Cassetti said before cutting the ribbon.
New Headings’ phone number is 888 – 924-2050.
Click here to visit the store’s Facebook page.
Click here for its website.
