A few months ago, Sherman County Development ran an ad to see if someone locally would like to be a business owner and we had several inquiries but Amy & Malcolm Long decided to take it one step further and become a business owner. The corporate rep for Ben Franklin, John Ptasik came in for a couple of days to do a feasibility study and decided this town was definitely ready for a store and we're sitting in a prime location. Last year the SCDC visited with numerous "dollar store" chains but after reviewing their demands and after deciding we wanted something a little nicer, we knew could find a store to bring to town. We setup a Retail Business Incubator Project, which is virtually unheard of in this part of the country. Most incubator projects are geared towards industry or manufacturing. Some of the SCDC Board members volunteered to serve on the Retail Committee; Karen Riffe, Jolie Asher and Kathy Allen took this project on and when, new board member Duane Mungia came on in July, he was recruited to help also. The next thing was to find a store and through may hours of internet research we found Ben Franklin Stores. for those of you that have never heard of them, Ben Franklin franchises have been around since 1927. Back in 1962 one of their most famous franchisers was Sam Walton, the Wal-Mart Man! In the past few years this company has had growth spurt and they contribute that to a new resurgence in "Small Town America". The stores are individually owned and inventory is purchased by the hometown owner with that particular community in mind. It's a very personalized thing and with the Stratford store it has really gotten personal. Amy & Malcolm have not only recruited the kids but their parents have also been helping with painting and cleaning. It's amazing to see what a coat of paint will do. As part of our Incubator Project, the SCDC will be available to help the Longs with questions or problems that ma come up. Watch for the GRAND OPENING we'll keep you updated. The SCDC and the Longs are very proud to be bringing this new business into the community for your shopping convenience. |
phone: 806-366-2897 |
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