MOHAVE COUNTY – Recent announcements by three corporations with a presence in Kingman prompt curiosity about potential local impacts. First it was Big Lots, and more recently, True Value and Walgreen’s.
The Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce keeps up with such news, but does not ordinarily get involved. “That’s generally taken care of by Economic Development,” said Chamber Executive Director Becky Fawson.
Director Bennett Bratley said members of the City’s Economic Development team attempt to learn more about business shakeups when they occur.
“We do engage to the extent that they’ll provide us information. These are large corporate entities, and sometimes we’ll get feedback,” Bratley said. “Sometimes that information is not available for the public, so they’ll hold that close to their vest.”
Discount retailer Big Lots in early Sept. disclosed it was undergoing a court-supervised sale process that includes Chapter 11 proceedings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
“We are proactive when we hear about these things so we do make contact,” said Economic Development Project Manager Sylvia Shaffer. She said she learned that the Kingman store will not be among the more than 300 Big Lot outlets being closed across the country.
Shaffer, Bratley and Fawson said they don’t yet know anything about the two Kingman Walgreens outlets as the company on Oct. 14 announced it is closing 1,200 hundred stores over the next three years. Walgreens said it will shutter underperforming stores, and Shaffer, Bratley and Fawson expressed optimism the local outlets will remain open because they are frequently busy with customer traffic.
Also on Oct. 14, True Value announced it has filed for bankruptcy and is selling all of its operations to Do it Best for $153-million. Bratley said he’s not yet learned what that might mean for the True Value distribution facility at the Kingman Airport Industrial Park.
“They’re not willing to go public with what is going to happen with the distribution center,” Bratley said. “But, I have a feeling and it is my hope, that this acquisition will make that a more profitable company, and that because of its location and being able to distribute to their stores, that the Kingman center will be able to remain open.”
Bratley said he has no update to provide regarding the Grower’s Secret fertilizer production operation that expressed interest in purchasing a 10.5-acre parcel at the Industrial Park early this year. Council rezoned the property for the anticipated use in January, but the California-based company apparently has not taken next steps.
“There’s certain requirements that we put on them before we would close on the property and they’ve not gotten back on those,” Bratley said. “So, at this point, we continue, we always continue to market the property, so we’ve actually shown the site last week to a potential user. At this point, Grower’s Secret I would consider on hold.”
Retail Coach, Kingman’s retail recruiting consulting firm, expressed excitement months ago about a new sit-down restaurant it hoped to land in the building where the Golden Corral closed on Stockton Hill Road. That unidentified prospect fizzled, but the city continues working with the property owner to find a new tenant or owner.
“As far as being close to anything right now, no. The property is still being marketed and we’re continuing searching at this point,” Shaffer said.
“We’re working with the owner of the Golden Corral to market that property,” Bratley said. “There’s a right business for that property and I believe eventually we’ll land one.”
Shaffer said the City economic development team has also been assisting Oyster’s with its planned transition from 2906 E. Andy Devine Ave to its new location inside the old JB’s restaurant building at 2940 E. Andy Devine Ave. She said Kmart Plaza owner Ben Laparne purchased the JB’s building and should welcome Oyster’s as his first tenant early next year once remodeling and upgrades are completed.
Dave Hawkins
