Andrew Foods to hit the auction block this Saturday
Bidding on the sale of Andrew Foods is expected to start at 12 Noon this Saturday, April 16.
Store owner Marty Derouin said Ed Prodaniuk Auctions will be conducting the unreserved auction on site, and he is hoping to sell it as a parcel, i.e. building, inventory and equipment. “I hope it goes to someone local,” added Derouin.
Doreen, who owns several successful businesses in the region, said the store has a lot of potential, especially for a couple or family who want to set up shop in the community.
“When I bought it from Co-op I felt opportunity was there.” That is why, said Derouin, he wanted to re-organize the business and resell it within six months. “I took possession in October, and I thought I had a deal in January.”
While his plan is slightly behind schedule, Derouin is confident the property will sell during the auction as there also has been other parties who’ve expressed an interest in purchasing the property recently, as well as favourable appraisals by assessors.
“The opportunity is there if someone wants to step up to the plate,” pointed out Derouin. He believes opportunities, any opportunities that come along in life, are all about what you make of them.
Tammy Pickett, owner of the Andrew Hotel, which is located beside Andrew Foods, said if the community is left without a grocery store it will negatively affect senior citizens and shut-ins.
She added that the Village of Andrew will also be much less appealing for people looking to move into the community. She expects housing values to depreciate if no buyers come forward.
“Andrew is a little community that can be thriving, but it isn’t.” Pickett believes you have to look globally, and she also hopes the property will be purchased as a grocery store.
Donna Fesyk, (nee McIntyre), who has operated Nearly New Treasures on main street for the past three years, is terrified to think what will happen if the grocery store is not sold.
“I fear our town will die out.” She has seen a big difference in the amount of people coming to shop at Andrew Foods in the last six months. She fears that if there is no grocery store in town, residents, commuters, and visitors will bypass the town, and head to the larger centres of Vegreville and Fort Saskatchewan for services, not just groceries.
“I feel bad for the elderly who don’t drive and walk.” Fesyk said she has talked to other business owners about the impending sale, and said, “They’re devastated.” As a business person, Fesyk said it’s very stressful not knowing what’s going to happen. She also knows that having one less business in town will also negatively affect the number of people who go through her doors, and she doesn’t want to have to go down the same road as Andrew Foods.
Hamed, who opened his business in March of 2009, said it is hard to keep his doors open when the majority of his customers come from out of town. As to why local people don’t support his business, the answer remains unclear. What is clear, is that in a small community the loss of a business, negatively affects other businesses.
Village of Andrew CAO Pat Skoreyko said, “It is very disheartening whenever a business closes, however, Andrew is a very resilient community. The village office has had some inquiries regarding the store. We remain optimistic that this can be an enormous opportunity for an entrepreneurial spirit with a new venture concept to take over and prosper.
“A restaurant has just recently opened and two businesses have applied for development permits. This speaks to people having confidence in our community.”
Michelle Pinon
Editor
