When Bertram Radbel returned home to East Chicago, Indiana, after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he was looking for work. Despite having a journalism degree from the University of Illinois, his aunt and uncle, who owned Main Auto Supply, encouraged him to open his own retail store on the same street since the area was growing.

By Shelley Widhalm

(Originally printed in the September/October 2025 issue of Insights.)

“He was very athletic growing up, so sporting goods made sense to him,” says Diane Hudacin, one of Bertram’s three children and a current co-owner of the company with her brother Michael Radbel. “Since it was on Main Street, it became Main Sporting Goods. My dad didn’t think too hard about that.”

Main Sporting Goods opened its doors in 1946, outfitting athletes with uniforms and sports equipment and selling outdoor gear and even Christmas trees. The company’s products have shifted significantly over the years to keep up with the times.

“We had to adapt to whatever people were wanting to stay in business,” says Hudacin. “The greatest thing is we’re still here doing what we do. That says a lot for an 80-year-old business.”

Bertram’s children all worked at Main Sporting Goods during their formative years—in high school and during breaks from college. Today, Hudacin is the president, and Michael Radbel is the vice president.

Keeping Up with the Times

The oldest of the Radbel children, Neal Radbel, decided to add awards to Main Sporting Goods in the late 1960s.

“[Neal] was instrumental in bringing in trophies and a lot of business to us. He expanded the market quite a bit,” Hudacin says.

Michael Radbel joined the team full- time in 1990. In the early 2000s, Neal passed away, and Hudacin—the youngest of the three—came on board full-time. Michael Radbel and Hudacin took over ownership of the business a few years later when their dad died.

Over time the customer base continued to evolve, seeking less gear and fewer trophies. In the early 2000s, the team expanded into promotional products, selling tumblers, mugs, coasters, clocks, and sunglasses.

Co-owners Diane Hudacin and Mike Radbel

“As things change and buyers change and what they’re looking for changes, we have to keep up,” Hudacin says. “Customers were buying fewer trophies and awards, so we added promotional products to what we do.”

Today, the business has two engraving machines, two sublimation machines, three heat presses, a screen printing machine, and a dryer to dry the ink from screen printing. The only service they outsource is laser engraving. Screen printing is done on garments like T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, jackets, and hats. Although trophies were not as in demand in the early 2000s, the trend has come back around in a big way.

  

“Awards and trophies have been upgraded significantly since we started carrying them in the 1960s,” Hudacin says. “There’s lots of fancy stuff you can do now, and people like it. They’re willing to spend more than they used to.”

At Main Sporting Goods, one side of the 5,000-square-foot building is dedicated to screen printing, while the other side houses engraving operations for trophies, awards, and other products, along with office space. The retail store sits in the center of the building.

The business started with just the center store, but they were able to expand over the years, offering a wider array of products for customers.

In 2020, the business launched a refreshed website giving customers the ability to generate on-demand quotes for customized products. This includes an interface for high school and collegiate products, academy logos, and geographic destinations. Customers will also find ready-to-go T-shirts, polo shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, sweatpants, and hats.

  

“Recently, we expanded into multicolor options because they are becoming popular,” says Hudacin. “It’s provided a whole new array of things we can do. It’s amazing what’s out there.”

To better serve multicolor requests, the business expanded into sublimation for garments and plaques.

Going Above and Beyond

When asked what the secret is to sustaining 80 years in business, Hudacin says they provide very good service and important expertise.

  

“We stand out because we provide very good service, and we know what we’re doing,” Hudacin says. “We can guide them into what they’re looking for, and they trust us. Our longevity and our service really stand out.”

They’re known for going above and beyond for their customers, which has led to a strong base of repeat business and new clients discovering them through word of mouth.

  

 “We follow up and make sure everything is to [the customer’s] liking,” Hudacin says. “We show a lot of respect. People like that and can feel it. I like when they leave and they are happy,” Hudacin says. “When they’re happy, we’re happy.”

That desire to see people happy also extends to their staff. Their dad started out with a couple of part-time employees. Today, Main Sporting Goods has around 15 on staff, including a few family members. The company proudly touts that they are family owned and operated, which is true, but they also consider all their employees family.

“Most have been here a very long time, some 35, 40 years,” Hudacin says. “We spend more time together than with our own families.”

This includes one of the store managers, William Mitchell, who has been at Main Sporting Goods for 46 years. He started as a senior in high school, looking for a job to make money so he could go to prom. Mitchell says his favorite part about working in this industry is meeting people and creating items that bring joy and happiness.

“The customers are really what I like about it,” he says.

The same goes for Hudacin.

“Sometimes it’s a challenge because they don’t know what they want,” Hudacin says. “They trust us, and we don’t take advantage of that trust.”

Continuing the Family Legacy

For those entering the personalization industry, Hudacin recommends focusing on the customers as a primary objective.

“Really know your product and be able to take care of your customer in a positive manner,” Hudacin says. “Don’t let greed get in the way because, without the customer, you’re nothing.”

Main Sporting Goods furthers that customer-first approach through its membership in the APA. They joined the association nearly 50 years ago.

“What I like most about the APA is how they introduce you to new products and the shows and the people that you meet there who are from other states and countries,” Mitchell says. “We try to go to shows every year.”

Mitchell likes to see new products and share ideas when he’s at APA’s trade shows and expos.

“It’s a lot of learning,” Hudacin says. “They help you get pricing and products.”

Within the next five years, Hudacin and Radbel plan to retire. They will leave the business to Michael Radbel’s son, Ryan, who is a manager at the store.

Hudacin is proud of the family legacy of Main Sporting Goods and hopes to see it continue for years to come.

“My dad started this business when I was very little. It has supported many families over the years,” she says. “We will keep doing it as long as our customers keep coming, as long as people need us.”

Shelley Widhalm is a freelance writer and editor and founder of Shell’s Ink Services, a writing-and-editing service based in Loveland, Colorado. She has more than 15 years of experience in communications and holds a master of arts degree in English from Colorado State University. She can be reached at shellsinkservices.com or swidhalm@shellsinkservices.com.