http://www.hudsonhubtimes.com/news/article/4623194
by: Dorothy Markulis - dmarkulis@recordpub.com - Hudson Hub Reporter : Monday July 8th, 2009
Hudson -This is a big year for The Grey Colt, the unique clothing specialty shop on North Main Street. It's celebrating 50 years of success.
According to Katie Coulton, owner and operator of the shop, The Grey Colt has been offering discriminating women its unique blend of clothing and accessories plus personalized service since 1959.
"It's a place that people come back to because they know we remember them and their purchases. They know they can find what they want here," she said. "It's head to toe dressing."
Coulton said the shop got its name from a blending of the original owners' last names: her mother and father, Patty and Stewart Coulton, and their original partners, Pris and Ash Graham.
"They started the shop in an upstairs location in the Saywell's Building," she said.
"They were only there two years before they moved to this location [150 N. Main St.] which once housed Dodd's Department store."
"Their original concept, since there weren't many small specialty stores in the Midwest, was to provide unique items not available in department stores," Coulton said. "It's still the same today. We have very special clothing items and accessories here you can't find other places.
" Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carolyn Konefal attributed The Grey Colt's unique offerings and Coulton's merchandising expertise to the store's success.
"She has the ability to sustain a very loyal customer base which is difficult for any business to do," Konefal said.
According to Konefal, The Grey Colt has been a chamber member since 1995. Coulton said she's been working in the shop since she was in the fourth grade.
"I would come down after school. I probably just played here, but I thought I was working. After college, in the early 70s I returned here and worked with my mother," she said.
By that time, the business was solely owned by the Coultons.
Coulton's mother continued to work in the store until just six month before her death at age 83 in 1999.
"In college I received no education in fashion. Everything I learned about fashion I learned from my mother," Coulton said.
Coulton handles all the purchasing.
"I mostly go to New York for the companies I'm loyal to and the brand names I'm familiar with," she said.
Coulton credits the store's longevity to several factors: personal service, unique clothing and accessories, and location.
"It's in the center of the community. People come here to connect. It's a comfort," Coulton said.
The shop's decor is a comfort, as well, a welcoming atmosphere with cozy chairs, couch and table.
A former employee and family friend, Dede Klein, along with Peter Veale, created a miniature The Grey Colt store as a gift for Coulton on her 50th anniversary. It is displayed prominently with its interior lighting and creative clothing displays.
"They started working on it six months ago," Coulton said.
Born and raised in Hudson, Coulton is a big believer in community. In addition to the Chamber of Commerce, she is an active participant in community affairs and downtown business promotions.
She has served as a member of the city's board of zoning and building appeals and also as a board member of the Hudson Heritage Association.
Including herself, Coulton has a staff of four. She credits much of the store's success to sales consultants Stephanie Stanziano and Ann Hanna, and bookkeeper, Barbara Warner.
"This place is about a lot more than just me," she said.