Expanded North Adams Carr Hardware To Open MondayBy Andy McKeever
iBerkshires Staff
05:10PM / Friday, January 27, 2012
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The new Carr Hardware will open its doors on Monday morning at 7:30 — a month earlier than expected — and a grand opening celebration is planned for April.
The hardware and paint supply store just completed an expansion by moving its business from State Street to the former Carbone Auto Sales on State Road. The new 10,000-square-foot building at least triple the size of the previous location and will feature 30,000 new items.
"It's a great location. We're thrilled about the location and the outside opportunity and the parking," said co-owner Bart Raser on Friday, describing the interior of the store as "super nice." "We're looking forward to having green goods and power equipment."
Raser said the new store is significantly bigger than the State Road location, which had only offered paint-related supplies and rentals. Carr took possession of the building on Jan. 3 and completed its transformation in less than 30 days.
The mild weather and help from employees and vendors made the quick turnaround possible, he said.
"We have been working 24/7 with 20 people and we're a month ahead," Raser said, adding that employees from other stores were called in to help out. "We have a great team. ... I can't say enough about our employees for getting us here ahead of schedule."
The store will expand from five employees to 20 and feature three complete paint lines as well as a full line of hand and power tools, plumbing, electrical and an equipment and party rentals store. Also, with a new partnership with Agway, the store will have a full line of pet, agricultural and lawn and garden supplies.
Raser said the Agway section is stocked with the company's signature Feathered Friends bird food and pet supplies and will expand the lawn and garden part in March.
"Serving the customer is top priority at Carr Hardware," Raser said in a press release. "We focus on meeting the expectations of local contractors, institutions, and residents by providing the community with competitively priced products and services they need to complete their projects without having to go out of town."
Carr operates stores in Lee, Pittsfield, Great Barrington and Watervliet, N.Y.
Monday's opening will be a soft opening but a grand opening is planned for the weekend of April 27.
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