By Thomas Sellers Jr.
Classic Sea World Inc., owner Verna Adams greets her customer and familiar client at her 217 Highway 51 North location in Covington.
A vision that started in the eyes of a young Aaron Adams Jr., years ago in the fields of Covington has matured into a 30-year successful business. Along with his wife, Drummonds native, Verna by his side Aaron opened Classic Sea World Inc., on Sept. 26, 1986. This upcoming Sept. 24 the business located at 217 Highway 51 North in Covington will be celebrating with the public with an open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Before the word spread out to Millington, Atoka, Brighton, Munford and Drummonds, Classic Sea World had humble beginnings at the former location of 728 Highway 51 South. “With our struggles in the beginning we had to build our customer base,” Verna said. “We had those ups and downs. Then people found out about us. And if we had something they wanted, they just came by. “In the beginning, we started putting out flyers on people’s cars or in the the park, different places like that,” she added. “They would have activities over there and we would visit the people in the park. Then folks started coming into our store. We build our clientele.” At first patrons of Classic Sea World only has access to fish and other marine life. Then the aquariums were joined by cages for small pets. Eventually Classic Sea World started to offer grooming services. “Once we moved down (to this location) our business grew, we started in a really small place,” Verna recalled. “When we moved here, we expanded out. People started asking about grooming, us selling dogs and cats.” After reading books to study dog pictures and viewing some grooming on television, Adams learned her new trade. “This was before Youtube exist or the computer was so available,” she said. “I was self-taught. That’s the best way to be because I learned my own way and my own technique. Every year we get the Best of the Best from The Covington Leader.” From pet supplies to offering exotic birds, Classic Sea World has fully blossomed from the vision of Aaron. “This was his dream,” Verna said. “He grew up in the country from Covington and he had pigeons, squirrels, pet birds and things like that. He had a love for those things. As he got older, he was able to by a parrakeet. He just fell in love with pets. You name it, he had it. That’s what got us started.” In the early days, the family owned business operated with Aaron and Verna taking shifts when they were off from their day jobs. Aaron’s mother, the late Katherine Adams, ran the shop when the couple was gone. After 30 yeas, Classic Sea World is still family operated and the family has grown thanks to the patrons and pets. “It almost seems like we just realized from nothing you can build something,” Verna said. “Through it all we had to put God first and do a lot of praying. A lot of prayers were answered because we did have some low times. And we’ve had high times. We’re very blessed that our customers are not only customers. “They became friends,” she added. “Their children, they brought them. And not their children are bringing their children. It’s three generations that have come through. We’re like family to our customers.” The celebration planned for Saturday is just one of the ways Verna and Aaron wanted to say thank you to the public for 30 years. “Thank you because of you we have made it to this milestone,” she concluded. “Because of them and their belief and trust in us to take care of their pets, we’re going to sell them what they need, or they could come and get what they need from us, their commitment to us and ours to them, are business did thrive. Without them there is no us.’
Classic Sea World Inc., located at 217 Highway 51 North in Covington will be celebrating its 30th anniversary Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be food, giveaways, door prizes, face painting and more. For more information, call 476-1955.
