Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Jeri Rutledge, left, and Jack Goldrick show off the new freezers that were recently installed at Main Street Market in Kimball. They were completely stocked and ready to go last Friday.
Main Street Market in Kimball has undergone many changes recently.
The store has installed new freezers and undergone a change in management.
The store's new walk-in freezers were installed in a week and ready to go by last Friday. The freezers cost about $100,000.
"We started that (last) Monday, tearing (the old ones) out," said Jack Goldrick, co-assistant manager. "By Wednesday, they were all completely in. It took us about till Friday to get them all filled up. It's quite the process."
Susan Wiedeman, Panhandle Coop marketing director, said the new freezers will not only save the company 30 percent in energy costs, but also keep things frozen much better.
"They're sealed, so you don't get as much condensation," she said.
Goldrick said the big investment has been a hit with customers as well.
"We did post several pictures on our Facebook page and a lot of them were excited to see it happening, excited to see that Panhandle Coop has made that investment in the store," Wiedeman said. "One guy said he could get home and his ice cream was still frozen."
The new freezers also allow for more items.
"We actually have more space, so we have 100 more items, 100 different items that we now carry," Wiedeman said.
Goldrick said many of the new items are gluten free products, as well as additional ice cream varieties.
Additional changes include a revamped deli menu and some new paint in the store.
The local MSM store is also under new management. Goldrick and Jeri Rutledge were recently named co-assistant managers. They handle the day-to-day operations of the store. Goldrick is a native of Torrington, Wyo., and has been with the company for eight years. He spent the first four years at his hometown store, and has now been in Kimball for four years. He was previously the produce manager. Rutledge is a Kimball native and been a long-time employee at the store.
All the changes are in place for customer appreciation week, which began Wednesday and runs through Tuesday, June 30. There will be giveaways throughout the week in addition to a barbecue Saturday afternoon for $1.
