“It’s been many years in the making,” said owner Lenny Johnson, who along with his wife, Miranda, is a Minot State University graduate. “It’s the right time to try it. Everything kind of lined up.”

The supply chain issues plaguing the nation actually helped make this the right time, he said, because it creates the potential for an unmet demand that Genesis stands ready to fill. It also means he has his hands full, though, because Genesis is in the process of constructing a new store building in Williston.

Genesis carries clothing, footwear, eyewear and accessories for men, women and children. Popular lifestyle brands include Vans, Roxy, Billabong, Hurley, Birkenstock, North Face, Fox Racing and UGG. It also is known for its stock of Oakley glasses.

“We don’t have the largest inventory, but our claim is we have the largest selection in North Dakota,” said Johnson, who noted the store tries to carry some of everything Oakley offers.

Jill Schramm/MDN Oakley sunglasses are among the popular brands of glasses offered at the new store, Genesis, in the Dakota Square Mall shopping center.

The Minot store also will have a wall of hats, including sports team hats, and will carry watches.

Johnson said he wants to hear from Minot customers as the new store stocks to meet the local market needs.

“We’re going to be asking a lot of customers, almost every customer, ‘What are they looking for? What doesn’t Minot already have that they are looking for?'” he said.

Johnson said because the store is North Dakota-based, the fashion trends customers will see are North Dakota trends.

“I see what people are wearing. I try to pay attention, and we try to carry what’s trending locally, not just what’s trending nationally,” he said. “There are some things that are nationally trending that are important, but it’s more important to carry what’s trending locally.”

Johnson said the store will be ramping up its inventory in the days heading into Black Friday so customers will be seeing more and different products as time goes on.

He expects accessories to be big sellers this holiday season, so the store will be well stocked with accessories and with socks and underwear that always seem to be in demand at this time of year.

Johnson said the store also strives for a customer-friendly atmosphere. The store describes its mission as providing customers with a comfortable, safe, social environment in which to shop.

“We try to be customer focused,” Johnson said. “We’re really trying to bring home some local feel and good customer service.”

The store’s general manager, Keiona Trimmer, has been with the company for three years. In acknowledging that recent anniversary on Facebook, she posted she had wanted to be part of something that impacts people in a positive way and she found that at Genesis.

“The employees that I train and the customers I help every day are what makes this all worth it. Being a part of an employee’s life and teaching them life lessons they can take with them forever is one of the more rewarding things,” she stated. “I thank God every day that I ended up where I am.”

Genesis’ roots go back to late 2009 when Johnson and his brother started an apparel store in Dickinson called Starboard.

In recounting the history, Johnson explained he grew up in a small California farming town and was drawn to Dickinson by family ties after discharging from the Air Force. He moved to Minot in 2005 to study business at MSU. There, he met and married Miranda, a Hazen native, who holds a double major in elementary and special education from MSU. During those college years, Miranda Johnson worked at the Dakota Square shopping center, where she was working again this past week to help set up the new store.

Lenny Johnson said knew he wanted to own a business but wasn’t sure what type of business until noticing the retail gaps in fashion in western North Dakota. That led to the opening of Starboard, which expanded to Williston in 2014. The brothers eventually split the company, and Johnson took over the Williston store, which has operated as Genesis since late 2019.

Johnson said the store has blossomed into what it is today as it has responded to the needs of its customers.

Johnson, a volunteer soccer coach, also believes in giving back to the communities where Genesis has a presence. Genesis donates 10% of profits to its community, often to organizations serving youth. For instance, the Williston store has supported Youth for Christ, Trinity Christian School and a futbol club.

The store can be found online at ShopGenesisND.com and is on Facebook at Shop Genesis ND.