Gabe Stark
Reporter

At the Sept. 11 grand opening of Trenton’s new Bomgaars, manager Staci Ireland heard a message repeated by customers: They were glad to have the store in town.

“I was just amazed. Not one negative comment,” Ireland said.

The farm and home retailer opened Aug. 25 in the former Shopko building at 2001 E. Ninth St. It employs 31 people, including Ireland, and plans to add a firearms department this fall.

Ireland said shoppers welcomed familiar employees and remained positive despite long checkout lines at the four registers. The grand opening also featured drawings for shopping sprees and merchandise.

The store carries farm supplies, plumbing and electrical materials, hardware, tools and clothing for men, women and children. Tool brands include DeWalt and Milwaukee.

Ireland said the variety has attracted customers, particularly those needing plumbing, electrical and hardware supplies for weekend projects.

Much of the selection is standard across Bomgaars locations, although weather and regional needs help determine what individual stores carry. She can also contact the company about products it carries that are not stocked locally.

Finding a building large enough helped bring Bomgaars to Trenton. Ireland said the company had been looking for a location in this part of Missouri.

She was hired during the first week of June, and shelving installation began July 8. Other employees in the company helped prepare the store, which opened less than seven weeks later.

Limited warehouse space meant merchandise had to be sorted and stocked from the sales floor. Ireland said deliveries reached seven or eight semitrailers a day during setup.

A Gallatin native, Ireland began working part time at Orscheln Farm and Home in 2008. She moved into management and later worked for Tractor Supply, including as a district manager in merchandising. She said knowing people in the community helped her find her footing in the business.

A former Orscheln colleague working for Bomgaars contacted her about the company’s plans for the area. Ireland said Bomgaars’ family ownership provides a personal atmosphere similar to what she experienced at Orscheln.

“You can pick up the phone and get a hold of anybody. You know who to call to ask a question,” Ireland said.

The store’s next planned addition is firearms. Gun cabinets had been installed before the interview, and Ireland hopes to have pistols and long guns available by the end of October.

The store has begun making donations, and Ireland encouraged community members with requests to stop in and speak with her.

“The goal is just to be involved in the community and be here for a customer,” Ireland said.

The staff includes full-time and part-time employees. Assistant managers, key carriers and department heads are among the positions. Ireland said her role involves working alongside them on the sales floor.

“I would not ask my employees to do anything that I would not do. I am a working manager. I’m on the floor. I don’t like sitting in the office. You don’t work for me; you work with me,” Ireland said.