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Grocery store finds new life
March 13th, 2009 by Mike Knutson
We’ve heard the story time and time again: Grocery store owner in a rural town reaches retirement age, wants to sell, but struggles to find an interested buyer. With no buyer in sight, the store closes. Substitute “hardware store” or “grocery store,” and most small towns in the Upper Midwest have experienced this scenario first hand.
Last month, we learned that the community of Clark, SD banded together to reopen their “variety store.” Today, we report that the community of Menno, SD (pop. 729) stepped up to save their grocery store.
The Yankton Press and Dakotan provides details for the story. () When it appeared the store’s owners who were ready to retire couldn’t find a buyer, the Menno Area Development Corporation took action by:
- Forming a corporation to purchase and run the store
- Selling $145,000 in shares to residents who wanted to keep the store running
- Hired a young store manager from Rapid City, after she answered an ad in the State Wide Classified
- Secured a $23,559 grant from USDA Rural Development to help purchase $100,000 worth of energy efficient freezers, coolers and checkout equipment.
- Convincing the community to support the store (and it sounds like the new manager has a lot to do with that as well)
The story is uplifting and motivating. It proves that communities don’t have to accept decline as inevitable.
What’s really exciting about the story
Digging deeper into the story, however, I found other reasons to be excited.
First, the store’s manager, Amber Taylor was 27 years old when she took over. She had been living in the Rapid City, proving that not everyone from Gen Y is interested in living in an urban area.
Second, like the Nick Graham story, the community values the store and is willing to volunteer their time to work at the store.
Third, the community appears to be supporting Taylor with mentors. A story in the March 4, 2008 edition of the Town and County Weekly News, suggests Taylor is being mentored by the former store owners and another retired former grocer who retired to Menno. A review of the Menno Area Development Corporation minutes also informs us that the Southeast Enterprise Facilitation Project has played an important advisory role.
The idea that communities need to provide mentoring support to entrepreneurial endeavors is often neglected. It may, however, be one of the more important roles around.
At the end of the day, the Menno community should feel proud of their efforts. They have provided us with another example of a “Reimagined” future for rural places.
Tags: Buy Local, Gen Y, grocery stores, Menno SD, nick graham, retail, rural infrastructure, yankton press and dakotan
Posted in Economic Development, Gen Y, In the News, Quality of Life, Rural | Comments (
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