The business remains with the Grady family, as Thibadeau is Tony’s cousin and Walsh is her husband. Thibadeau has worked at the store for the past 13 years, serving as manager for the last four.
“(I'm) definitely nervous but it's an excited nervous,” explained Thibadeau. “Tony has set me up for success and I'm looking forward to being able to prove that to him and to everyone else that this is going to be an amazing place to be whether you're working here or shopping here.”
“When my dad started this business in 1984, we could never have imagined the journey ahead,” said Tony. “Kelli and I are proud of what our family, staff and community helped build, and we could not be happier that Theresa and Mark are leading its next chapter. Theresa knows this business, our customers and what makes the Grady's experience special.”
In 1984, Ken Grady Sr. founded Grady’s Orthopedic Service from his home, crafting custom orthotics for local customers. He opened the first Grady’s Shoes storefront in downtown Peterborough a year later.
Two years later, Tony started helping after school each day. He purchased the store with his wife, Kelli, in 1997 and rebranded it as Grady’s Feet Essentials. They opened a kiosk at Lansdowne Place Mall in 2000. This led to further expansion into an entire storefront on the mall’s upper level in 2005 and a major renovation with the help of a retail designer in 2011.
“Owning my own store has been a dream for a long time, and a lifetime of experience has brought me to this moment,” said Theresa. “Back in high school, I took an entrepreneurial class and I realized this could be kind of fun, exciting and very achievable. So when it started to talk about possibly having a succession plan, it was the first thing I was like, 'maybe this is for us.’”
Mark has 20 years of automotive-industry experience and a first-hand appreciation for Birkenstock repairs and Blundstone care services. He plans to help expand the store's safety-footwear selection and is training.
