If you were one of the many confused by why on earth the last big chain outdoors store in Marquette would close down in an area so enthusiastic about hunting, fishing and the outdoors, some explanations accompany the news of the re-opening of Gander Outdoors this spring.
Formerly Gander Mountain, the Marquette store was bought along with the rest of the Gander Mountain company's assets after they went to bankruptcy court last May.
The new owner, Marcus Lemonis, owns Camping World, Good Sam and other outdoors companies, and may be familiar to some from the CNBC show "The Profit." He's re-opening certain stores under the new name Gander Outdoors, in markets where the company can expect good support from hunting, fishing, boating, camping and other outdoors consumers, obviously including Marquette.
The store will re-open sometime this February or March, according to a press release from Gander Outdoors, which is now based in St. Paul, Minn. The location hasn't changed -- 3465 U.S. 41 West in Marquette -- and will bring back about 55 jobs to the community.
"It was important to me to bring Gander Outdoors back to the wonderful community of Marquette because the employees were top notch and the store was a great performer serving the outdoor enthusiast community," says Lemonis. "In addition to the Marquette location, we are currently pursuing other locations for reopening and expansion and expect to announce additional locations and markets in the coming weeks."
A grand opening and ribbon cutting are in the planning process right now for the Marquette store. Other Gander Outdoors stores are being re-opened across the U.S., as Lemonis states in the press release that his goal is eventually to operate about 70 locations, depending on profitability and terms of leasing.
Enjoy this story?
Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.