Three years after a fire destroyed a Carbon County landmark, Country Junction is rising from the ashes. Friday owners broke ground for their new store.
Hundreds of shovels dug into the ground where the new Country Junction store will stand.
It was a very different scene three-and-a-half years ago. In October of 2006 a mechanical problem sparked a fire. It could be seen for miles as the 150,000 square foot store burned to the ground. Tons of merchandise acted as fuel. There were no fire hydrants or sprinkler systems to save it.
Cheryl Reitz, a secretary for Country Junction, was there. "We stood across the street, just watched it burn to the ground, heart broken," Reitz recalled.
She now joins hundreds of workers and customers who turned out to break ground on a new store.
"We're excited to get the store up, get it running and get back to our normal facility," said employee Kurt Steigerwalt.
Owner Jim Everett said this wouldn't be possible without his devoted employees. "They just keep us going. How do you walk away from this many people? They won't let you. It's heart warming," Everett said.
Construction is already well underway. Everett said they expect the walls of the building to go up by the end of the month.
The new store will only be around 50,000 square feet, smaller than the original but Everett said there are already plans to expand.
"We actually have the permit for another 60,000 square feet," Everett added.
The hope is to open the new store by April next year and Everett said the new store will have sprinklers.
Hundreds of shovels dug into the ground where the new Country Junction store will stand.
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Cheryl Reitz, a secretary for Country Junction, was there. "We stood across the street, just watched it burn to the ground, heart broken," Reitz recalled.
She now joins hundreds of workers and customers who turned out to break ground on a new store.
"We're excited to get the store up, get it running and get back to our normal facility," said employee Kurt Steigerwalt.
Owner Jim Everett said this wouldn't be possible without his devoted employees. "They just keep us going. How do you walk away from this many people? They won't let you. It's heart warming," Everett said.
Construction is already well underway. Everett said they expect the walls of the building to go up by the end of the month.
The new store will only be around 50,000 square feet, smaller than the original but Everett said there are already plans to expand.
"We actually have the permit for another 60,000 square feet," Everett added.
The hope is to open the new store by April next year and Everett said the new store will have sprinklers.
