Cameron Simoneau was living in New York City the first time he seriously laced up a pair of running shoes — it quickly became a passion and a way to find solace from the daily grind of work and life.
Fast forward several years and running has segued into his career of choice. Since leaving the corporate world and launching Tri-State Running Company in Northern Kentucky in 2010, Simoneau has quietly built the brand into a three-location operation, including a new store that opened earlier this year.
“When I first started running…addicted is the wrong word,” Simoneau said. “I needed a lifestyle change — I was working a lot and eating on the go — and I really developed a passion for it. But never in a million years did I think I’d become an entrepreneur.”
Simoneau’s leap into business ownership, however, came after years in corporate America, including stints at Air France and Citi, a job that landed him in Cincinnati shortly after he wrapped up his MBA at Rice University in Houston in 2005.
The banking world left him burnt out and unfulfilled, he said, so he decided to draft a business plan based on his passion. He seemed ready to launch Tri-State Running in 2008-2009.
Then the subprime mortgage crisis hit, and the stock market collapsed.
“I put my plans on ice,” Simoneau said. “Then I decided all of the sudden, a few months later, that there’s never going to be a ‘right time,’ so I quit my job and devoted all my time and resources to opening the business.”
Tri-State’s flagship store in Edgewood opened in 2010, offering nutrition supplements, accessories, socks, clothing and shoes, while playing host to running groups for racers preparing for popular events, like the Flying Pig Marathon.
Locations in Mariemont (2015) and, most recently, Florence, which hosted a grand opening in September, gradually followed suit.
The latter, located on U.S. 42, is Tri-State Running’s largest yet, at 2,400 square feet. Simoneau said he considered a second store in Northern Kentucky for a few years; like with Mariemont, he saw an opportunity in the market.
While there was some initial concern the new location could cannibalize Edgewood’s existing business, the initial response has been strong.
“I feel like Northern Kentucky is sometimes forgotten. Edgewood is where we cut our teeth and developed our brand,” he said. “When we started looking at real estate, I was pretty set on this spot. The running community has grown, and there’s more people who have been exposed (to it) with Covid. It’s going to be a phenomenal market for us, and I think with a fresh year, things will start to become a lot more normal in terms of races and events.”
Tri-State Running Company’s growth has been purposefully conservative, built largely through word-out-mouth.
Simoneau hangs his hat on the company’s community focus. Over the past 11 years, Tri-State Running Company has donated more than $600,000 in the form of sponsorships, donations and local event support. That pledge will continue.
In many respects, Simoneau still feels like he’s in startup mode. For growth in 2022 and beyond, Simoneau plans to keep it conservative. He’s built the business so far solely using his personal savings and revenue.
Whether or not Tri-State Running will expand beyond its current trio of stores, he’s open to the possibility.
“I’m keeping my eyes open,” he said. “One of the things I’ve learned is it’s not important to be the biggest, it’s not important to have five stores or seven stores, but it is important to be profitable.”
