Retailer to open Almont store in April

ALMONT — Just in time for spring planting, Almont area residents will have a a new shopping option.

Muskegon-based Family Farm and Home has begun renovations to the former IGA store on Almont’s north side and Tim Fansler, the company’s vice president of merchandising, said he expects to have a soft opening April 5 followed by a grand opening May 5.

Although the company has yet to name a store manager, Fansler said it’s taking applications at the company’s website, www.familyfarmandhome.com, for the 12 to 15 jobs it plans to fill at the store. He said he expects to begin interviews Feb. 20.

“We’re gutting the building right now,” said Fansler. “We’re going through the planning approval process for special land-use for outside sales, but we don’t anticipate any problems.”

If all goes well, Fansler will mark the opening of the Almont store and another one in Holland about the time his company turns 10 years old.

Fansler, along with his father, Al and brother-in-law, Bob Tarrant began the company by purchasing three one-time Quality Farm & Fleet stores following that company’s bankruptcy, which closed 150 stores in 10 states.

Tractor Supply Co. (TSC) bought and reopened more than 80 of those locations, including the one in Imlay City.

Fansler said his family eventually sold their Lafayette, Ind., location to TSC. Since then the firm has grown to 22 locations, all in Michigan except one in Peru, Ind.

Fansler said that while Family Farm & Home has a similar feel to TSC, his stores offer a “larger assortment of products.” Among the store’s product lines are tools, hardware, automotive, pet, work and casual clothing, footwear, farm supplies, horse and livestock feed, bird food, lawn and garden, and alternative heating.

Almont Food Pride closed its doors at the Almont Plaza in June 2009 leaving Almont without a local grocery store and putting 27,218 square feet of retail space on the market. A recent real estate listing offered the building for rent at $136,090 and listed other tenants in the 40,329-squarefoot building as Rite Aid, Grondins and Subway.

Last year, Mike and Lori Vinckier failed to reach a deal with building owner Jerome “Jerry” Fine to lease the space and the Yale couple later purchased the 39,000-squarefoot

Do-It Center, which was once listed for $950,000. The couple, who owns Spartan grocery stores in Yale and Wadhams and has plans to open a store in Marlette, are in the process of opening a combined Spartan- Ace Hardware store in their new building.

The Vinckiers, along with Almont officials, were in front of the Lapeer County Commission Thursday seeking approval for a commercial rehabilitation district. The Almont Village Council is expected to be asked to approve commercial rehabilitation districts for both Vinckier Foods and Family Farm and Home, which would give both companies five-year tax breaks, when the council meets at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Almont DDA director Nancy Boxey said she sees Family Farm and Home’s arrival in Almont as “a huge employment opportunity.”

Village Manager Oliver Turner, “I would say we’re starting off strong this year for new businesses come to town. I hope the trend continues.”

With a store in Richmond, Fansler said Family Farm & Home has been looking for expansion opportunities in the area for quite some time. “We know the numbers Quality did in Imlay City,” he said, adding his company found Almont demographics quite appealing. “They have a lot of rural households and livestock. That’s right up our alley.”