Long-awaited Bad Axe Meijer opens

The exterior of the Bad Axe Meijer is seen just prior to its grand opening on July 9. (Aurora Abraham/Huron Daily Tribune)

Meijer opens long-anticipated Bad Axe location

SCOTT NUNN

scott.nunn@hearstnp.com

BAD AXE — For more than four years the anticipation of Meijer coming to Bad Axe has been growing, and today that dream for some finally became a reality as the store opened its doors to the public for the first time.

Bringing approximately 250-300 jobs to the area, with an anticipated 60% of them being full-time, Meijer’s contribution to the community is expected to run much deeper.

“Right now we have about 225 team members,” Store Director Scott Neff said. “We plan on maintaining 250- 300, because our business can be seasonal. We are still hiring right now. We feel pretty good about sitting at Communications Manager Joe Hirshmugl said Meijer’s superstore concept is essentially specialty stores within a store. (Scott Nunn/Huron Daily Tribune) 225, that is a little ahead of ny and one of the things we and enrich the communities ville and raised my six kids our goal right now.” talk about all the time is we we serve.” in Kingston.”

Neff said his administraenrich the communities in Neff said Meijer encouragAs part of its efforts to tive assistant is currently which we serve,” Neff said. es management to join local ingrain itself into the comconducting phone inter“We have been out partnerclubs and organizations for munity, Meijer recently views. ing with folks in the commusome of those outlets in servdonated $30,000 to local

“Meijer is a family companity. We want to add value ing the community. organizations throughout the “We want to be a vibrant community, including the part of the community,” he Bad Axe Athletic Boosters, said. Bad Axe Fire Department

Huron County Residents Unlike some leadership, and St. Hubert Parish Pantry who might be transferred to to name a few.

Do You Need A Ride??? the position from outside the Neff is excited to be able community, Neff is an Upper to serve a small community. Thumb native. Previously he ran one of the • Need to see a Doctor? • Dentist? “I am from Kingston,” Meijer stores in Saginaw. • Go to Work? • Go Shopping? he said. “It’s not like they However, despite serving

“Our Friendly, Personable, and Courteous Drivers will get brought some guy in from a smaller community, Meiyou to your destination in a safe and timely manner!” Grand Rapids. I know what it jer is bringing large-town is like to live in a small comconveniences, such as pickmunity. I grew up in Mayup service, home delivery

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service and Meijer’s Shop & Scan service, which allows shoppers with smartphones to scan their items as they shop and enjoy the benefits of an expedited checkout procedure.

“People shop many different ways and we just want to offer as many options as we can,” Neff said. “Whether they want it delivered to their house, whether they want to scan it and bag it as they go, or they want to go online and have it delivered to their home.”

“We do have a multiple ways to shop,” Communications Manager Joe Hirshmugl added. “Especially with the pandemic and people trying to be socially distant, this gives people a great opportunity.”

Currently Neff said the delivery service will be limited to approximately 25 miles from the store, but he said that could be changed to accommodate as many customers as possible.

Neff said team members who shop for home delivery orders are appointed to the position and receive special training.

“We are very selective on who works in those areas,” “Not everyone knows what a good head of lettuce looks like. We teach and train to that, on how to pick produce.”

“There is a whole training that goes along with it,” Hirschmugl said. “We were one of the first retailers to offer home delivery in Michigan. It is monstrously successful.”

Meijer’s delivery service is provided through a partnership with Shipt, which sends a representative into the store to shop for individuals. Shipt shoppers communicate with the customer if a selected item is out of stock, offering a line of communications on substitution options that are available.

Neff said Meijer is known for its selection of fresh produce, meats and baked goods.

“One of the biggest things

Continued from Page 8

people will see, from the supermarket setting, is we focus on fresh,” he said. “The people I know that shop at Meijer, the things they talk about is meat, produce, bakery and deli — fresh is something we do really well.”

Like other Meijer loca- tions, the store includes a meat counter offering fresh cut meat in addition to the ready-packaged meat.

The fresh incentive extends beyond the walls of the store. Meijer has formed a partnership with Murphy’s Bakery in Bad Axe, which Neff said is part of the local enrichment Meijer is focused on.

Meijer is known for its grower partnerships throughout the state, which extends to its store directors.

“There is a huge initiative for us, as a store director, to partner with as many local people as we can,” Neff said. “I actually went to the Port Austin Farmer’s Market looking to talk to farmers. We are looking to partner if we can.”

“Being founded in Michi- gan, we have the most exten- sive relationship with farm- ers in this state,” Hirschmugl added.

The partnerships don’t end there. Inside the new store, shoppers will see a wellknown local name in health- care, with a Scheurer Health FastCare location at the front of the store. FastCare is a walk-in clinic offering treat- ment for minor illnesses and health needs, for patients and non-patients.

In addition to the part- nership between the two companies, Meijer offers free prescriptions such free select antibiotics and select prena- tal vitamins.

The store shares a simi- lar footprint with five other stores that are or are sched- uled for construction this year Hirschmugl said. The new stores boast enhanced energy efficient lighting, wide aisles, fresh decor and an airy feel, as well as long-stapled amenities like a butcher counter, deli count- er, a bakery, pharmacy and several checkout options to name a few.

“Any time you do some- thing, you feel like you get a little bit better,” Neff said.

“Anytime we open a new store we try to open the best store we know how to,” Joe Hirschmugl “There are a number of different things that we do. Most of our buildings are built to LEED certifications and standards. This is the best store we know how to build.”

Neff said Meijer has con- tinued to hone its layout, design and selection to pro- vide customers with the best experience.

Meijer is known as the first supercenter, establishing the concept in 1962 as the first to offer grocery, clothing and hardware under one roof.

“We get the question ‘How are you different?’” Joe Hirschmugl said. “The difference is that we were founded in grocery and they weren’t. There is no other retailer in these parts that was founded in grocery.”

“I think one of the things people don’t realize because this is a big supercenter is, one — we are a family busi- ness, and two — we founded the supercenter concept and we do it really well,” Neff added.

During a preview tour, Hirschmugl pointed out various sections of the store and said despite Meijer being a supercenter, it is laid out differently.

“We call this a one-stop shopping experience, but what it is is a whole bunch of different areas that are spe- cialty stores in themselves.”

Each of the areas Hirschmugl pointed out fea- tures prominent signage and layout.

In addition to its extensive grocery options, the store also features a large pet food selection as well as house- wares and clothing. Neff said Meijer features brands such as Carhartt, Skechers, Nike and Adidas.

Neff said there is a lot of work that goes into oper- ating a store, so the usual Meijer 24-hour concept fits with stocking and inventory, while providing customers the convenience of shopping in off-peak hours.

“Customers generally appreciate the convenience,” Neff said. “Those people that are shopping at two o’clock in the morning, they are used to it. We talk to all of our team members about taking care of the customer.”

“Not everyone works 9-5, especially these days,” Hirschmugl said.

However, due to the coro- navirus pandemic, Meijer has adopted shortened hours to allow for increased sani- tation.

After the coronavirus pan- demic is over, Hirschmugl said the store will be resuming the corporation’s 24-hour operation, which he said there are less than a half-dozen stores that don’t operate on that basis.

The store opened June 9 at 6 a.m., and will be open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight until the pandemic is over and the 24-hour model can resume.

“It takes a lot to get a store like this ready, so I’m extremely proud of our team members, who worked very hard preparing for this day,” Neff said. “The excitement I’ve felt from the communi- ty is so overwhelming that it’s going to be a pleasure welcoming our neighbors to shop in the best Meijer store we know how to build.”

“I’ve been asked, ‘When are you going to open the store?’ hundreds of times over last few months,” he added. “It will be great to have the questions be about finding the green beans and doing my part to help answer all of their shopping needs.”

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Siblings return to Thumb Area and buy brewery

AURORA ABRAHAM

aurora.abraham@hearstnp.com

CASEVILLE — Lauren Formicola and her brother Mark have a very close relationship and often embark on outdoor trips like hiking, cross country skiing, bike riding, climbing, and kayaking.

“This is just another adventure for us,” Lauren said. “We’re really close. We like to talk it out. We like to bat the ball around a lot. We generally agree, it takes us a while sometimes to get there, but we both kind of know our strengths.”

In October, Mark was sampling breweries in the area for a podcast he co-hosts. As planned, he stopped at the Thumb Brewery but unexpectedly saw a “for sale” sign. He and his sister were considering buying a business but were not explicitly searching for one at the time.

“We just said, Oh that’s perfect for us, let’s buy it,’” Lauren said.

Lauren lived in Washington state, so technology was a huge help in communicating with her brother in Sterling Heights.

“We would get together and just talk on the telephone about all sorts of areas whether it be the menu or the color design or the tables and chairs, we split work up,” she said. “It really wasn’t a challenge at all because we’re both used to working on the fly.”

They placed an offer in December that was accepted in January. Delays occurred with the purchase and licensing due to the coronavirus.

Lauren and Mark partnered with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Tri-County Bank.

“They put together our financial package for us and gave us a lot of help,” she said.

A representative from the Michigan Certified Development Corporation, an extension of the SBA, assisted them with a loan package. They had to create a business case that included plans to remodel and update the kitchen and the menu.

Lauren said the staff was another key factor in them moving forward with the purchase.

“The staff have developed long-term relationships with people who come up here for the summer and they’ve developed some local loyalty,” she said.

The employees were very eager to keep and resume their jobs this summer. Nick Bowlby, an award-winning brewer, has worked there since it originally opened over five years ago.

“It’s very important to us that he wanted to stay on and continue with his recipes and creating the lovely beers that people actually stop here for,” Lauren said.

A favorite beer of his is called Lady Lavender. It has a “lemon zest upfront and floral aromas” according to their menu.

She said they look forward to him enhancing his work. They will “give him some room to develop some cool, interesting beers,” she said.

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Lauren and Mark Formicola take a selfie with glasses of beer after buying the Thumb Brewery. (Courtesy Photo)

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clist group come by that had planned to end its trip at the brewery.

“Unfortunately, we weren’t open, but it’s because they love the beer here,” she said.

Lauren moved to Caseville in early June and is happy to be back in Michigan.

“It’s great, I love it up here,” she said. “I love the little town feel, and everyone has been super nice.”

They have established over six necessary licenses, but are awaiting the printed copy that will enable them to open to the public. They expected to receive it in the beginning of May, but the pandemic has limited the liquor control’s business hours, thus slowing the process. They do not have a planned day to open

See BREWERY, Page 15

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13 Temps spike as Helen Stevens Memorial Pool opens

MARY DRIER & SARA EISINGER

Huron Daily Tribune

UPPER THUMB — The Helen Stevens Memorial Pool opened to the public June 19 after a long period of uncertainty.

In anticipation of the pool opening, Cass City was able to hire life guards, and the parks department has been busy cleaning and preparing the pool for use.

The Tuscola County Health Department gave Cass City’s pool approval to open 1 p.m., Friday, June 19.

“The health department inspected the pool Friday afternoon,” said village Manager Debbie Powell. “They inspected the pool and facilities, and approved opening.”

However, it will not be business as usual at the Helen Stevenson Memorial Pool at 6757 Church St., in the Municipal Park,

“Due to the late start, and the social distancing requirements, this year, we are limited in our offerings of classes and lessons,” Powell said. “We did not know if we could open and use our pool this year due to COVID19. So the plan is to keep operations simple with leisure use of the pool only with open swim.”

Due to the COVID-19 challenges and concerns, staff will take extra precautions to insure the health, safety, and welfare of the public and employees alongside the compliance with state and federal guidelines.

In addition, the village has changed the disinfection process from salt to chlorine, as was recommended by the pool contractor, Powell noted.

The pool will be open every day for open swim, The pool hours will be Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

The pool will close from 4:30 to 5 p.m. for cleaning, and shift change, and will re-open from 5 to 9 p.m. weekdays. The pool will be open on Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Pool staff will monitor attendance and only allow 100 people at the pool, including staff.

Patrons will be asked to notify pool staff when they leave in order to disinfect their seating area and potentially allow admittance to those who are waiting.

At this time, no swimming lessons or private lessons are being scheduled this summer.

There will also be no early bird lap swim, water aerobics, or pool rentals.

Although a some of the pool’s standard operations will not be available this year, there is some good news. Admission rates remain the same as last year. Single daily admission is

As temperatures spiked to the low 90s, residents in the Upper Thumb rejoiced as the Helen Stevens Memorial Pool opened for the season. For more photos from the pool, see Page 6B. (Sara Eisinger/Huron Daily Tribune) $3 day, and the family daily was realized that some major The community rally then the weather conspired admission is $10. repairs had to be made to the around the pool to raise the against the project, delaying

However, season pool pool that is 44 years old. funds to do the repairs; but the 2019 opening. passes will not be available during this season.

In midst of its 2020 opening, city council members Tom Herron and Don Ball were busy constructing the village’s new splash pad.

“It will be something for the kids to do,” Ball said. “While the bigger kids are swimming, the little ones can run in.”

Its radius will be 20 square feet, made complete with 30 “toys.” Ball said the toys include various sprinkle $549,500 $299,000 units and even buckets.

The pad was Herron’s idea. After visiting his daughter out of state and seeing different sprinkler systems set up for kids, he thought it would be nice to have something similar in Cass City.

“I was a building contractor for 56 years,” Herron 2800 Bay Drive, Port Austin 8609 Lake Street, Port Austin said. “I was looking for a challenge. It will be a real LAKEFRONT: 4 Bed, 2.5 Bath 3 Bed, 2 Bath, 2 Story asset for Cass City.”

Herron and Ball anticipate $519,000 $234,000 the splash park to open by the end of July, but nothing has been set in stone.

For more information on the Helen Stevens Memorial Pool, call the Municipal Building at 989-872-2911.

Normally, the pool opens Memorial Day weekend.

The pool has faced chal505 Wadsworth Road, Bad Axe 24 Beaver Street, Port Austin lenges the last two years. After it opened May 26, 4 Bed, 4.5 Bath, 1.5 Story 4 Bed, 2 Bath, 2 Story 2018, it closed briefly after swimmers complained of getting scrapes on their feet. The pool was drained, cleaned and some minor repairs done so it was able to reopen for the remainder of that season.” However at that time, it LORI BABCOCK Broker/Owner 8673 Lake Street Port Austin, MI 48467 Cell: 989-550-7936 Office: 989-738-4663 FIVE OFFICES TO SERVE YOU 6820 Main St Caseville 989-856-8400 791 S Van Dyke Bad Axe 989-269-9925 2966 Pigeon Rd Bad Axe 989-269-5263 119 State St Harbor Beach 989-479-3100