The opening of a new hardware store in Iola is just around the corner.
According to Chris Socha, general manager of Waters Hardware stores, plans to open a new store in the shopping plaza on North State Street is almost complete. “All the shelves are set up and nearly all the merchandise is ready to go,” he said. “We’re just finishing up a few final things.”
Socha is general manager of the chain’s 27 stores, located primarily in Kansas. Its headquarters are in Paola, where its owner, Rusty Gerken, lives.
THE IOLA STORE is expected to have a soft opening the week of Feb. 17. Socha says this will allow the new staff to get settled in and trained. He anticipates a grand opening will be later this spring.
“We might wait until about April,” he noted. “That way we can have activity going on inside and outside of the store. We will also be selling live plants at this store.”
Socha has high hopes for the opening, noting that the Iola community is the perfect location. “As a company, we think Iola is going to be great for us. We think the community is going to really respond to having a new hardware store,” he added. “We are very excited about it. All of the staff is from Iola or the area. The manager lives just a few blocks from the store. Listening to the staff talk about how excited they are is kinda cool.”
