Scott Swanson
In front of a long line of eager customers, company employees and local community leaders, Bi-Mart opened its 75th store, in Sweet Home, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of a crowd of store employees and local community leaders Thursday, May 15.
Earlier, company executives thanked contractors, vendors and buyers and the employees who put the store at 1918 Main St. together.
“We have folks from all over the country to help put this store together,” said Jim Frazier, general merchandise manager.
Rich Truitt, president and chief operating officer for the chain, said it was “a real pleasure” to put a store in Sweet Home.
“The real work starts today,” he told employees. “This is our first chance to actively welcome the people of Sweet Home.”
Marty Smith, CEO and chairman of the board, told the crowd that he’d attended “70-some” store openings and “I have to tell you, every one gets better and better and better.”
He urged the staff to make their initial contact with the customers count.
“We have one opportunity today to make an impression on the people of Sweet Home. That impression will either be good or it’s going to be bad. We get one opportunity to show them that we’re the best place in town to shop for their needs, not to take anything away from anybody else doing business in Sweet Home.”
Outside, the line of well over 100 prospective customers, led by Earl Jones, stretched around the parking lot and up 22nd Avenue.
The 32,100-square-foot store offers 45,000 items for sale, said Dennis Down, senior vice president of human resources and chief administrative officer.
“Sweet Home is our type of community,” Down said. “We like to be part of towns like this.”
Don Leber, who heads advertising and marketing for the company, noted that Sweet Home officials have been “outstanding” to work with.
“This could be the largest turnout we’ve ever had of local dignitaries,” he said.
Mayor Jim Gourley, who helped Manager Beth Mozzetti cut a ribbon to open the store, said the city is “really excited about Bi-Mart being here. It’s a great opportunity.”
The store is initially staffed with about 60 employees, which will eventually be reduced to 40-some when the initial rush of customers checking out the new store dies down.
Mozzetti grew up in Lebanon and was managing the Veneta store when she told a senior Bi-Mart management executive a year ago that if the company were ever to open a store in Sweet Home, she wanted to manage it.
“When this came open, I jumped on it,” Mozzetti said Thursday. “This kind of takes me back to my childhood, going to the lake, all of that.”
Employees handed out Oregon State University hats and pens to the first customers into the store and a long line quickly formed leading away from the sporting goods counter, where ammunition was available in greater supply than normal. Outside, the parking lot was jammed with vehicles, every spot taken. Through the weekend the store handed out Blazers T-shirts, Sweet Home High School hats and OSU T-shirts to the first customers into the store each day.
Jones, who uses a wheelchair, said he got up at 4 a.m. and was just “dawdling around” when he decided to go get in line.
“I figured I might be the first,” he said. He arrived just after 6 after a stop at McDonald’s.
He said this is his first Bi-Mart card of his own and he likes the store, though he’d like to see more music for sale. Prices seemed “pretty reasonable.”
“At least we don’t have to go out of Sweet Home any more to get what we need,” he said. “It will help out the economy a lot in Sweet Home.”
Leber said the store could help the community attract visitors.
“Hopefully, it brings more people here, attracts people to Sweet Home.”
CUSTOMERS, above, crowd the check-out lines half an hour into the first day of Bi-Mart’s new Sweet Home store Thursday, May 15. At right, Manager Beth Mozzetti opens the door for the store’s first customer, Earl Jones of Sweet Home, who heads a line of more than 100 customers waiting to enter. At right, employee Marrissah Olsen hands out complementary gifts to new customers.