DUNCAN — In business, there’s a saying about choosing the right location in order to make it a success. For years, East Main Street may have not been viewed as the prime location to start up a new business. Many buildings were vacant and others that had business occupants didn’t look so great. That appears to be changing.

Ask Main Street Inc. Director Tammy Johnson her thoughts on East Main Street and she immediately becomes its cheerleader.

“I’m just excited to see things happening over there because it has had a bad reputation,” she said. “If we can change the perception of East Main, that’s wonderful.

Johnson said it can benefit the entire community.

She said that in the past few months there has been more activity on East Main, with old businesses getting a facelift and other businesses from throughout Duncan that are moving to the area. Several businesses have added a fresh coat of paint, or resurfaced parking lots.

Johnson said economics plays a big role.

“If you rent a piece of property on (U.S.) Highway 81, and you pay $1,800 to $2,500 for about 1,200 square feet, then why would you do that if you can buy and own a piece of property on East Main, that is maybe $50,000 to $60,000?”

“Now they are investing in their own property that is theirs and may be making a payment of $400 a month and gaining equity. Financially it makes sense.”

Veronica Ibarra with Duncan Association of Realtors said there is one building listed for sale. It’s the former Sledge 66 service station and while it is listed as in poor condition, the price offers an investor the ability to upgrade it. Ibarra said it’s in the 400 block of East Main, has more than 2,500 square-feet on nearly 1 1/2 acreage lot with room for parking — for $35,000.

Even though the Duncan Main Street Inc. program covers only a portion designated as historic, from 7th to 11th and Oak to Willow streets, Johnson sees East Main as having its own historic purposes for Duncan. The 600 block and east can be considered as the East Main district, she noted.

One of the oldest existing businesses is Thornton Supply, owned by Russell Thornton and has been as such since January 1982. It was owned by his father, Hal, who started Thornton Pump & Supply. It offers industrial and oilfield supplies and auto parts.

“We’ve been through a few recessions here,” Russell said. His business continues to thrive. “This part of town has been good for our business.”

“We pull customers from all over town, probably more from 10th Street East. There is a lot of industrial stuff out this way with Halliburton and HydraRig,” he said.

And, in Johnson’s endeavors to help promote Main Street and gain new members, she’s been visiting the businesses on East Main.

That has brought surprises, she said.

“R&R; Auto Glass has been there for 4 years. I didn’t know that. They say they advertise by word of mouth, but obviously that doesn’t always work because I didn’t know about them,” she said.

Now that Johnson does know, she’d like everyone to also know about them and the other businesses. She named off several — Cruizer’s Pit Stop, Cruz Thru and Paw Paw Patch Pet Grooming.

Cruizer’s Pit Stop has been re-opened about two years, and Steve Markle recently purchased Cruz Thru and resurfaced the lot and will be moving his auto business from Industrial Park to East Main, Johnson said.

“Jim Bishop redid Cruizer’s Pit Stop and made it a nice store compared to what it was,” she said. Thornton even mentioned it as he talked about the revitalization efforts underway in the East Main district.

Yet, for all the efforts, East Main’s progress still has a long way to go. Several of the businesses that are active may not appear as such. Or they have signs in the window advising customers to call for appointments, like the pet grooming shop.

Virginia Turner, who opened the pet grooming business on East Main about 18 months ago, said it was the first building that she looked at and the rent was extremely affordable.

“It’s close to my house and I stay usually pretty busy three or four days a week,” she said. “A lot of my customers are in the neighborhood.”

Opening a new grooming shop on U.S. Highway 81 would not have been possible, she said, since there are so many groomers in Duncan and the rent is much higher on the highway.

Because both her business and home are in the East Main neighborhood, she said she sees plenty of traffic and also frequents other businesses, like Goodner’s, R&S;, and the laundromat.

It’s that type of attitude that is helping the East Main district come back to life.

“If you let things go down and down and don’t fix them up, that’s when you do get the gangs and the meth and a bad reputation,” Johnson said. “It’s neat to see these new things going out there.”

“If you don’t come this way, you don’t know it’s (business) out here,” said Thornton.

He’s worked on East Main for 30 years and said his father worked there for 50 years.

“I think it’s a good thing, someone coming to this area. We have a good traffic flow, and we have good security. Duncan Police take care of us really good,” he said. That in itself gives him comfort in staying in the East Main district.