FAIRMONT - The clock is ticking for Fareway.
Tuesday afternoon, the aisles were busy with employees stocking the shelves, preparing for opening day March 24.
"It's one of the bigger stores in Fareway's chain," said Kelly Lowe, meat market manager.
"It'll be a lot different by the time we're done with it. We kind of do our own thing," said grocery manager Ryan Nicholson.
A new front entrance is just a hint of the transformation the building formerly known as County Market has undergone.
"We were able to completely remove what was there on the inside," said Fred Greiner, human resource director for the Iowa-based company. "... We started with just a shell."
Gone are the cement walls and floors and warehouse ceiling. Instead, customers will see white tiled floors, a white drop-ceiling and white walls, contrasted by shiny new equipment.
Walking through the doors, a quick glance shows the layout of the entire store. To the right is the produce department; to the left, the freezers. Aisles form parallel north-south lines the width of the store, allowing easy viewing of the merchandise on hand.
In the southwest corner is an in-house bakery, with a quaint register where bakery customers can purchase their orders and bypass the check-out lanes at the store front.
Along the back wall is the full-service meat counter, where workers taught by experienced Fareway butchers cut fresh meats to order.
"We take a lot of pride in what we do," said Mike Fowler, assistant meat market manager.
"I always tell people I'd do this job for free," Lowe said. "The pay is just a bonus."
Lowe and Nicholson are equal as managers, each specializing in their own departments, a nod to simpler times when butchers were butchers and grocers were grocers.
"Everything about us is grass roots," Nicholson said. "We're very traditional, even with our uniforms."
The top four management positions - occupied by Nicholson, assistant grocery manager Aaron Rice, Lowe and Fowler - are filled by long-time Fareway employees. All are new to Minnesota and excited about making Fairmont their home community.
Combined, the foursome have worn the company logo for 46 years.
"Fareway does an excellent job taking care of its employees," Nicholson said. "... It's a solid company. It's been around since 1938."
And having a dependable employer in these economic times is more important than ever, he pointed out.
Fareway hired about 75 new workers, most of whom will start out part-time. Experienced Fareway employees will be on hand the first couple weeks to help with the initial customer rush.
"People are excited," Rice said. "They're coming in already."
