They could have chosen a number of other places to open a gun and ammunition store, but brothers Mike and David Gonyea decided they wanted to make their business work in Quitman.

The Gonyea brothers, along with Mike’s wife Stephanie and her faithful canine Mayflower, are the owners of Minuteman Ordnance Company on the square in Quitman. They officially opened Dec. 1, 2020 and the business has already become a destination site. While many businesses closed or cut back during the last year due to the COVID pandemic, their business has prospered and is growing. 

Both of the brothers served in the United States Marines and their patriotism runs deep. Mike has been in the oil and gas business for several years while David spent 13 years in the Marines. David, the younger brother and 2005 Yantis graduate, had been in Hawaii for six years while finishing his Marine service and then managing health clubs when the two decided to live their dream and open a gun store in Quitman on the north side of the courthouse square. While in the Marines, David did emergency safety and survival for Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Mike went into the Marines after graduating from Yantis High School in 1996 and was a Marine reservist for six years.

The brothers are passionate about their business and dedicated to people learning gun safety. They don’t just sell merchandise, they teach classes on proper use of firearms.

“It’s been a passion of ours since we were kids growing up. We love teaching and letting folks know guns and shooting can be fun,” Mike said. “The way things are going in our country everyone needs to be able to keep their family safe and we want to help them do that.”

David said they have always enjoyed going to gun stores. “When we were younger we loved going to gun stores and checking things out. We would talk about what we liked about the store and things we would do different if we had one,” David noted. “It was actually December of 2019 we talked about it and decided it was time to do this.” 

The brothers began their search for a location, looking at Tyler, Sulphur Springs and Mineola, and decided they wanted to be a part of Quitman’s downtown resurrection. 

“We met Rodney and Kelly (Keike) at Speakeasy while we were making plans for the business. They were both so high on Quitman and the opportunities we might have right here,” Mike commented. “Rodney showed us some of the possibilities and got us excited about coming to Quitman. It was not long after that we found this current spot on the square. Rodney and Kelly made us feel welcome and we wouldn’t be here if not for them. They convinced us because they acted like they really wanted us here.”

Mike added, “I had been going to Tyler to work for years and didn’t see the sense in doing that anymore when we could be right here in Quitman where we live and our kids go to school.”

Both brothers give credit to Mike’s wife Stephanie. “She is an important part of this project. She does all of our inventory and really keeps things moving for us,” Mike declared.  

They have a group which meets at the store on Sundays at 1 p.m. and then goes to their outdoor range in the Coke community area for shooting practice.

“It’s really about education. We want people to know guns are safe, but you need to know the basic skills. In these times, people buy guns because they want to protect their family, but they must know how to safely do that,” David responded.

The store is more than just guns. There is plenty of ammunition of varying types, clothing and other accessories. They also have finely crafted knives on display.

The next step in the evolution of Minuteman Ordnance Company is the brothers’ desire to expand and add a gun range. They are working with the Quitman Development Corporation to secure the downtown property where the Wood County Democrat once stood. Plans are for an Alamo type structure which will house room for their retail store, a pair of classrooms and a shooting range at the location on the courthouse square.