Boatwright on the air at WTLS Radio

Boatwright purchases another store

By Michael Butler

Being a business owner with a family of six requires some balance. Hubert Boatwright knows all about it.

Boatwright owns Tallassee Power and Equipment on Highway 14. He opened the business in 2010. Two weeks ago, he aquired CTE Small Engines in Opelika located at 2419 Frederick Road near Tiger Town. The store, which opened 22 years ago, will now be called TPE.

"It just felt right," said Boatwright on the decision to add another location. "I've been wanting to get into that market for some time. It's a bigger market. It's a little different. They cater a little bit more to a homeowner in a subdivision. Over here we sell for more people out in the country."

Boatwright's business offers sale and rental of lawn and garden equipment and chainsaws. TPE sells Husqvarna products, like his Tallassee site, as well as Toro and Echo products.

Opelika location

"I'll be back and forth. I'm not sure how my time will split. I just don't know. I've never done this."

The Boatwrights have four school-aged children.

"Taylor plays softball. Kyle's in the band and the choir. Josh, I'm sure is going to play baseball and football. My four-year-old is now old enough for tee ball."

Boatwright is versatile though. He memorized Tecumseh's speech when he played the role in the local production a few years back.

"It's probably 15 minutes," Boatwright said of the monologue. "I did some of it out of sequence. Our director was freaking out when I skipped a whole page. It was okay when I came back and picked it up later. There were six or eight pages."

Just like a supporting cast for a play, Boatwright inherits a seasoned staff in Opelika, ala the one in Tallassee that should help make the operation a success.

"We've got about six employees. A lot of them have ten plus years of experience."

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