Lowe’s nails down loose ends, opens Friday

By JAMES CLARK / Editor for the Southern Standard

A 94,000-square-foot Lowe’s has given Cumberland Plaza shopping center new life. The home improvement mega store is set to open its doors to the public this Friday after about six months of demolition and construction work. (James Clark photo)

The store is stocked and employees have been trained.

And come this Friday, the doors will open for retail shopping at McMinnville’s new Lowe’s.

“It’s been an ongoing struggle to get everything priced and ready to go,” said Lowe’s zone manager Donnie Allen. “We’re expecting Friday to be a busy day.”

Before retail shoppers are welcomed through the door, Lowe’s is having a special contractor day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The store is also offering an employee night Thursday where workers are given first chance to shop at the 94,000-square-foot store.

The doors open to the general public Friday at 7 a.m. Lowe’s regular business hours will be 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Allen, who came to this store from Tullahoma, said this Lowe’s is much like any other. “We have our customers in mind and that’s what we’re here for, to take care of our customers,” said Allen.

Lowe’s says its new superstore, which stocks 32,000 different items, will help customers build, improve and beautify their homes. The McMinnville store represents an approximate $12.5 million investment and has created about 120 new jobs.

The store has drawn comments from most members of the community for the speed in which it was constructed. Demolition work began on the old Wal-Mart building in September 2003 and the new Lowe’s was largely complete around the beginning of 2004.