February 10, 2016 at 1:34 p.m.
Crafters rejoice as Rhinelander Hobby Lobby store opens
Crafters rejoice as Rhinelander Hobby Lobby store opens
By Kayla Thomason-
Business leaders, Mayor Dick Johns, ambassadors from the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce and dignitaries gathered inside the store and introduced themselves to Hobby Lobby's staff, owners and managers.
During the ceremony, the store's manager was presented with the store's first dollar.
Those inside the store then stepped outside for a prayer dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, then everyone went back in.
"(The grand opening has) been a great success," said store manager Chris Schmid. "It's been a very warm welcome and we've got people that are ready to shop now."
Crafters investigated the merchandise inside the 53,000 square-foot store and found vibrant faux flowers, various rich-colored paints, sleek brushes, pallets, canvases, picture frames, baskets, statues, aisles of fabrics, ribbons, thread and yarn in a rainbow of colors.
"It's just great, especially the arts and crafts department," said crafter Geraldine Atwell as she selected fabric for her next project. "I'm into arts and crafts and oil painting so this is just wonderful. I'm really happy."
Several shoppers said they are thrilled that they no longer have to travel long distances to get supplies or buy them online.
"The people can buy their stuff and keep it right in town instead of going out of town," Atwell added.
Jessica Chuckel was another of the many crafters exploring the store Monday.
"(The store opening in Rhinelander) means a lot of things," she said. "It provides obviously some jobs, it allows people to get into their creative niches and shop locally, which is awesome."
Others saw Hobby Lobby's opening as a way to draw more people Rhinelander.
"When you think about it, now we are able to draw this kind of businesses just means that now there's something else that's going to be out there that's drawn to the community and hopefully keep it growing, which is what we are trying to do," said Maggie Steffen, communication specialist with Swisher Communications and a RIPCO Credit Union board member.
"There's another draw, another thing that we can pull from other communities to make Rhinelander a destination, which is really, really important," she added.
Unique to this store is a classroom for people to set up classes and use free of charge.
"The other thing that is very unique to us is that we do custom framing also," Schmid said, adding that store employees can frame needle art, jerseys, pictures, and just about anything else a customer might request.
The Rhinelander Hobby Lobby store has 50 employees, of which all but two - Schmid and one other - are from the Rhinelander area.
Over 700 people sent in applications, store officials said.
Hobby Lobby is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The store is closed Sundays.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.