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BARNESVILLE — Susan D. Lapham believes people shouldn’t be afraid to try.
Whether it’s trying something new, trying something that sounds crazy or trying to make it on your own, the owner of three businesses knows you can’t get anywhere if you don’t try.
Lapham grew up on a farm outside of Barnesville and, after graduating from high school, she attended The Ohio State University studying communications and public relations. She said the cold Ohio winters sent her south to Houston, Texas, where she began working for a large real estate development company, The Johnson Corp. While there, Susan obtained her real estate license, studied graphics design at the Art Institute of Houston and took numerous art classes from Glassell School of Art. Ultimately, in 1985, she started her own company, Avenues, which focused on advertising, graphics design and events. It is located in Houston, where she also met native Houstonian and financier Wayne Lapham. They have been married for 40 years.
When her mother became ill with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in the late 1990s, frequent trips back to the Ohio Valley proved Lapham could conduct a considerable amount of business via cell phone, laptop and internet. That, in turn, led to the purchase of land not far from the family farm and subsequent construction of a second home for her and Wayne – in the country versus the city. With more time spent in Ohio, local contacts were regained and new friendships developed.
The beginning of two businesses in Belmont County came in 2013 when Lapham purchased the Hallmark House building and business in Barnesville, which she refocused to offering gifts, home decor, accessories, custom floral arrangements and skin care along with Hallmark cards and other items. The goal was to have a shop where one could purchase unique items without having to drive to the Ohio Valley Mall in St. Clairsville.
The arrival of 2015 led to the purchase of a second building and business, namely the Clubhouse Tavern, just a block away from the gift shop. The bar at the time was nicknamed “The Dirty Bar,” but it quickly lost that moniker with considerable remodeling and restaffing. Today it is a popular, friendly “Cheers”-type of neighborhood bar serving a large selection of cocktails and beer, including beer on tap, as well as a limited menu.
Over the 11 years she has owned Avenues of Barnesville, the offerings have evolved as demand determined what best to carry. The tavern, too, has evolved over the years with a biergarten being added and all facets being continually upgraded and improved. The seasonal biergarten recently added an outdoor grill to serve burgers and other food. It soon became apparent that music was a big draw for customers. Thus an outdoor stage was added.
Lapham credits much of her success to the realization that she could run a business without being physically present all the time.
“My aha moment came when I realized I could work remotely with one business while being hands-on with my two local businesses,” she said.
Last September, Lapham was recognized with a proclamation from then-Barnesville Mayor Dale Bunting for her community contributions. She said she truly believes in paying it forward and giving back to the community that supports her businesses.
Lapham is a member of the Barnesville Area Chamber of Commerce, Barnesville Area Education Foundation, Barnesville Community Foundation and the Barnesville Pumpkin Festival Committee. She began the tradition of hanging downtown flower baskets in Barnesville and continues working with the local chamber of commerce to solicit donations with over 50 baskets now being sponsored by local businesses and residents. Lapham initiated and coordinated the first annual Chili Cook-off last year with funds raised to benefit local projects.
This first cookout raised over $5,000 for the Barnesville State Theater project.
Her advice to a young woman starting out in her field: “Don’t be afraid to start your own business. You will make mistakes, but you will learn from those mistakes and grow from them. Be creative, you may be surprised where the path you start out on will lead you. I went from an executive secretary for the CEO of a large real estate development company to running the marketing department, to starting my own marketing business in Houston, Texas, to owning and operating the two retail businesses in Barnesville”.
She also learned an important lesson that still guides her work practices today.
“Don’t stretch yourself too thin,” she said. “Rely on your co-workers and staff to carry out and implement the standards you believe in.”
Being someone who divides her time between the Ohio Valley and a big city in Texas, Lapham sees a lot of promise in the local region for women who are looking to improve their lot in life.
“I see many opportunities for women-owned businesses in the Ohio Valley, which fosters businesses that are very male-dominated from farming to coal mining to oil and gas,” she said. “It is necessary for a woman to formulate a plan of action and sell your services to your customers.”
She also sees change as a bright spot for the region.
“The Ohio Valley is changing with more people staying in the area versus going to the big cities. The prevalent industries in the Ohio Valley are bringing in more varied people from other parts of the country. With that being said, there is more opportunity to address the demands of this market.”
Finally, she has a motto that she lives by: “Always think outside the box. Remember, the craziest ideas can result in something far different and great once the idea has been massaged and honed.”
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