Gander Mountain to open Thursday
HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) - Gander Mountain is opening its second store in South Carolina Thursday morning.
The four-day celebration kicks off at 9 a.m. with a performance by country music artist Darryl Worley. Then doors will open at 10 a.m. for shoppers. There will also be celebrity appearances, kids activities, and giveaways all day.
The first 1,000 customers through the door will get a free scratch-off card, according to store officials. Every card is a winner, with prizes including gift cards valued up to $100, coupons for up to 50% off, shirts, hats, sunglasses, and much more. Kids can create a lure, build a duck call, and learn how to cast a reel. There will also be a Coca-Cola fishing simulator.
Ryan Klesko, Andy Montgomery, Mark Davis, Skeet Reese, D.J. Swearinger, Marcus Lattimore, Troy Landry, and Mayor John Rhodes are scheduled to make appearances.
The opening of the outdoor specialty store is just another catalyst for growth in the Carolina Forest area. Gander Mountain has plans to make improvements to the property that go beyond their 13 acre lot. Glenforest Road and Postal Way, the access roads to the Gander Mountain Parking lot, are to be extended so drivers can cut through from Tanger Outlets to Carolina Forest Boulevard. The hope is that this will help alleviate some congestion on Highway 501.
In early February, lawyers for Gander Mountain requested a $2.2 million bond to help pay for some of these road and other improvement. There was also extra effort to improve drainage, sewer lines, curbs, and sidewalks. All of which are big "pluses" for any other small business, company, or restaurant to set up shop next door, knowing that work is already done.
Horry County council never picked up the discussion after the request was made. The next county council agenda has not been released yet, so it is not clear if it will be addressed again. Even without the promise of a bond, Gander Mountain has already finished some of the improvements. But the two access roads have not been fully extended to connect to Tanger, yet.
Jim Kelly, the regional vice president of Gander Mountain, says the company is invested in their new neighborhood. "This is just our second store in South Carolina. And we're growing fast. I think we built 23 stores last year. And we intend to build a lot out here. So, initially we'll hire about 70 people to be employees of this store. We hope that we continue to grow more stores to promote people and grow the Gander Mountain brand," said Kelly.
Check out the store's Facebook page for any details on the grand opening.
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