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A retail twist New Minteer’s Market owners plan to add a bit of the general store

5 min read
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CLAYSVILLE – The new owners of Minteer’s Market are planning some tweaks to the longtime store on Main Street before opening in the next few weeks.

Ryan Yoest, who along with several other family members own and operate Yoest Feed & Farm Supply at 2465 E. Finley Drive, said the family recently purchased Minteer’s, which has been closed since mid-January.

“We’re renovating the whole place,” Yoest said last week. “It’s almost down to the walls.”

He said that the new incarnation of the store will retain some of the market and deli items that were previously offered, “but it will also be more of a general store. There will be a little bit of the feed store mixed in,” he said of certain items the Yoests will introduce from their feed and farm supply, which is nearby.

“I’d like to open by next week, but it will probably be three to four weeks,” he said, explaining that state licenses for the lottery and tobacco products must be transferred to the new ownership, a process that takes some time.

The store on Main Street, a fixture in Claysville for generations, closed Jan. 14. It was previously owned by Deana and Duffy (Wes) Parry, who purchased it in November 2013.

The Parrys said last year’s downturn in the oil and gas industry, the state’s increase in tobacco tax and the opening of a Dollar General store just outside of town were among the factors that influenced their decision to sell.

Yoest acknowledged that having a dollar store near town could have a negative impact on retail in the town.

“Since Dollar General moved in, it hurt the grocery” portion of the business, he said.

He added that his family plans to offset that competition by offering things at Minteer’s that won’t be available elsewhere.

“We plan to get in gardening (supplies) in a big way,” he said, adding that other items from the feed and supply store will also be made available at the Claysville store.

And while bringing more of a general store atmosphere to Minteer’s may seem a bit retro, it could be the move that differentiates the store from other types of retail in the area.

“As time goes on, you have to adapt,” he said.

Downtown Washington wants to be “Open for Business” and is promoting a series of upcoming small business seminars being conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Small Business Development Center.

Christy Bean Rowing, executive director for the City of Washington Citywide Development Corp., said the free initial seminar, entitled “The First Step: Mechanics of Starting a Small Business” will be held from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 21 at City Hall council chambers at 55 W. Maiden St.

“It’s a meet-and-greet,” Rowing said, adding that the event is to enable would-be merchants and others thinking about starting a business to become acquainted with the process.

While a commitment isn’t required for future classes, the seminar will let attendees explore the size of their market and discover the various marketing tools they’ll need to attract customers, learn about business structures and available funding options.

To register, call 724-229-8078 or visit www.entrepreneur.pitt.edu for more information.

The city is also hosting a similar “get-started” seminar entitled “Mining Your Business” aimed at, but not limited to, dislocated coal-related workers and their family members. The six-session course, at 90 W. Chestnut St. No. 150, Lower Level, kicks off from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. March 1 and continues every other week, with topics such as thinking entrepreneurial; creating a roadmap for success; target marketing; budgeting; managing operations; and ends with a graduation on May 3.

Seating is limited. To reserve a spot, email iee@innovation.pitt.edu or call 412-648-1542. The program is offered free of charge and is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission’s POWER initiative.

Another six-part seminar, “Planning for Profits,” begins March 16 at 90 W. Chestnut St., and is directed at small business owners looking to expand their operations to the next level. Offered every other Thursday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., the course includes a study of business models and developing customers; value propositions; customer segments; customer relationships; revenue streams and concludes on May 25 with a graduation.

The program, which is also presented free of charge through the ARC POWER initiative, has limited seating. Reservations can be made by email at iee@innovation.pitt.edu or by calling 412-648-1542.

For the 11th consecutive year in a row, Handyman Matters, owned by Randy and Sandra McMahon of Monongahela, has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award, reflecting an exemplary year of customer service to members of the local services marketplace and consumer review site in 2016.

The McMahon’s franchise, which serves the South Hills, Washington, Canonsburg, the Mon Valley, White Oak and Uniontown, received the award in eight categories for 2016: handyman, carpentry, woodworking, electrical, flooring, ceramic tile, drywall, doors & windows and remodeling of baths and basements. The services currently employ seven craftsmen who are actual employees of the company and have more than 15 to 20 years of experience in the trades of drywall, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, flooring, and windows and doors.

Handyman Matters can be reached at 724-222-0105, 724-258-4884 or 412-851-1104.

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