Susie Wilmer, longtime owner of Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins, Colo., has sold the shop to staff members Revati Kilaparti and Teresa Steele, effective January 1. A celebration "of everything Susie Wilmer has accomplished in her 25 years of ownership and congratulations to the new owners" is scheduled for Saturday, January 31, the bookstore noted.
Wilmer said she has loved selling books and running the store, but "after 25 years it's time." She added that she wants the store to continue to prosper, and selling to Kilaparti and Steele was the best solution for her: "Both Revati and Teresa are ready and well prepared to take Old Firehouse Books into the future of bookselling in Fort Collins."
Kilaparti started working in the store as an undergraduate, left to become a veterinary technician for a few years, then returned to school to earn her MBA. She could not leave the world of bookselling, however, and has been at the store for more than 17 years.
Steele's bookselling career began in Loveland before she eventually landed at Old Firehouse Books. She runs two of the store's book clubs, fosters dogs for Bounce Animal Rescue, and organizes the store accounts.
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| From left: Revati Kilaparti, Susie Wilmer, Teresa Steele | |
"Like many true readers, both are obsessed with books, reading and the business of books. They are excited to continue to be a part of the local community making Old Firehouse Books now a BIPOC and women-owned business," the bookstore noted.
Old Firehouse Books was launched by Bill Hawk in 1980 as the Book Rack of Fort Collins, offering used paperbacks at first, though the collection grew over time. In 2001, the store was sold to Susie Wilmer and the late Dick Sommerfeld, longtime Book Rack owners in Cheyenne and Greeley.
Wilmer and Sommerfeld increased the used stock and began ordering new books. In 2009, the store moved from 1801 S. College Ave. into the old historic firehouse, a Fort Collins landmark. The name was changed to honor the building, which was constructed in 1881 as the first city building for the City of Fort Collins. The space also features two other local businesses, Happy Lucky's Teahouse and The Forge Publick House.