A month after the massive fire, Crescent Supply has reopened in Modesto
Crescent Supply has reopened at another Modesto address, a month after fire devastated its downtown building.
The business is now at 321 McHenry Ave., selling work clothing, police and firefighter gear, camping supplies and a few other types of merchandise. It’s a “soft launch,” co-owner Craig Stott said Wednesday, because some vendors are still in the process of filling orders.
Crescent started in 1946 and since 1963 had occupied the 801 Eighth St. building that went up in flames Sept. 14. The Modesto Fire Department has not reported a cause.
The fire forced Craig and sister Tiffani Stott to reduce their workforce from 30 to 17 people, a number they hope will eventually rise. They expect a long process with their insurer on covering losses. But they see a hopeful future for a company that has been a notable part of Modesto’s past.
“We want to be frustrated, we want to be angry, but that’s not the right way to take it,” Craig Stott said. “You’ve just got to turn the page.”
Crescent also has a Stockton store that has taken on some of the workload in the fire’s aftermath.
The McHenry Avenue store is not new. Crescent used it as a second Modesto site from 1970 to 2003. It recently was leased to the Ripon Christian Schools’ Priceless Treasures Thrift Shop, which has relocated to 2720 McHenry Ave.
The Crescent move coincides with a name change. The business had been Crescent Work & Outdoor for several years, but it has switched back to the original Crescent Supply.
The store continues to sell products made by 5.11 Tactical and First Tactical, both based in the Modesto area and serving police, fire and and emergency medical responders. They can find specialized clothing, pouches for radios and ammunition, and more.
“I am glad they survived, very happy,” said Russell Whitmore of Riverbank, a firefighter with the Consumnes Fire Department in Elk Grove, who came by Crescent for fireproof pants Wednesday.
Crescent is still waiting for some of its clothing for heavy industrial jobs. No problem, though, with the fluffy pink slippers made to look like bear claws, on a shelf next to the gray wolf slippers.
The company already is using part of the space for tailoring uniforms and sewing on patches.
Erica Onsurez used to work for Crescent but on Wednesday was setting up displays for First Tactical, where she handles business development.
“(The fire) was like my home burned down,” she said. “That was the feeling we got.”
Soon after it happened, Craig Stott said, someone told him about the phoenix, a bird in Greek mythology that survives fire.
“The moment I Googled it and started reading about rising out of the ashes, it brought me to tears,” he said.
Crescent has not set a date for a grand opening. It does plan to hold one of its Ladies Nights on Oct. 25, 4 to 6 p.m., with free food, drink and more.
The regular hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 209-529-3490 or visit www.crescentmodesto.com.
This story was originally published October 17, 2018 at 5:24 PM.