| Opening projected for temporary E.W. James store |
By: John Brannon Messenger Staff Reporter
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Posted: Thursday, November 5, 2009 8:58 pm
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| By JOHN BRANNON Messenger Staff Reporter “We are going to make a comeback. No question about it.” With those few words, Steve Hilton expressed the corporate determination of E.W. James & Sons Inc., the locally-owned supermarket chain that lost its Troy store to fire Saturday. Hilton, director of advertising, said the corporation has acquired the old NAPA parts building in Troy as a temporary store site until the burned-out site on East Harper Street is rebuilt. The building is located across from Obion County Central High School off Highway 51. The immediate focus is on preparing the NAPA building for occupancy. “We are looking at the middle of November for an opening date, but it could be delayed because of rain,” Hilton said. “We are going to do our best to open soon. (Today) we are going to start gutting the building. There’s a wall down the middle of it that has to be taken out. They tell us if they can get that done and power service put in, there should be no problem opening by Nov. 16.” Hilton said a target date of fall 2010 has been set for the new store to open on the site of the burned-out store. The new store will be farther back on the property than the old one, thus opening more space for parking. Meanwhile, he said, arrangements have been made for senior citizens to be ferried to Union City to shop for groceries in the E.W. James store there. “Mayor Jimmie Hart has set up a shuttle service for senior citizens,” he said. “They can call City Hall and make arrangements to get to our Union City store. And if they call in a list to the Union City store, or FAX it in, we’ll have the order waiting for them to pick up. “We’re going to do everything we can to accommodate the folks in Troy.” And all the employees of the burned-out store have been assigned to corporate stores in Union City, Martin and Hickman, Ky., or to the corporate office in Union City, he added. “They were back at work the next day,” he said. “We had some folks that did leave, but they left of their own accord. We were making room for everybody.” Published in The Messenger 11.5.09 |
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