Lowe's marks grand opening
Lynne Lynch/Columbia Basin HeraldMoses Lake Mayor Ron Covey cuts a board during LoweÕs grand opening ceremony on Thursday. Brian Bruley, LoweÕs store manager, holds the board while customers and employees watch.
Nearly 3,000 transactions done at new store
MOSES LAKE - A bright blue piece of wood signed by 110 Lowe's employees was the focal point of the Moses Lake store's grand opening ceremony Thursday.
Before about 50 people, the wood was set atop two sawhorses, awaiting the touch of a hand saw held by Moses Lake Mayor Ron Covey.
Employees and guests cheered and clapped while Covey sawed until the wood broke in half. Victorious, he raised the saw and smiled. The crowd erupted into applause.
Amid the noise, shoppers checked out the new store's products.
Covey said he recently went on a tour of the business with store manager Brian Bruley and operations manager Bill Hawes.
"What a wonderful store," Covey said.
He added that Lowe's is one of his favorite stores in the world. When he travels with his wife, he has a store he enjoys while she visits stores she likes. "I find Lowe's and have a great time," he said.
Covey also noted that Lowe's sponsors Car 48 driven by Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR races.
He told Bruley to let him know if there was anything he could do for him.
Bruley replied with "Just spend some money."
Bruley later said the store was just shy of 3,000 transactions since Monday, when Lowe's invited local contractors into the business. It wasn't known exactly how many people visited the store this week.
Bruley told the group the business was extremely proud and honored to be part of the community.
He pointed out that 90 percent of the store's 110 employees were hired locally.
"That's very important to us," Bruley said.
The store's employees put in long hours over the past few months preparing for the opening, so the signed piece of wood will remain in the store's training room as a reminder of what they helped accomplish, he said.
Also during the ceremony, Lowe's presented a check for $1,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake.
Norma Buchanan, Habitat's executive director, said the organization will start its ninth area home in the beginning of 2009. The money Lowe's donated will go toward the home.
"I'm so excited," she said. "We all are excited. In the short time they've been here, they've been so generous."
After the ceremony, store employees served cookies and cake decorated with the Lowe's logo for guests.