[M]ANCHESTER — Gov. Phil Scott doesn’t usually attend ribbon cuttings toward the end of a legislative session. But when a $100 million Green Mountain business wants to announce it’s growing even bigger?
Scott picked up a pair of scissors Monday to help the Vermont Country Store publicize its purchase of the nearby Mountain Weavers for an undisclosed price.
“Their tablecloths and napkins have long been among our customers’ favorites,” Eliot Orton, part of the fourth and latest generation of family storekeepers, said in a statement. “In many ways, Mountain Weavers is very similar to us — family owned, based in Vermont, and offering high-quality, unique, and time-honored products.”
The Weston-based retro retailer is bounding back after a $2 million fire last fall consumed a 16,000-square-foot backup storage facility just down the road from its Clarendon call and distribution center.
The business recently announced plans to build a 12,000-square-foot addition to its operations at Clarendon’s Rutland Airport Business Park, with hopes of finishing in time to receive goods this year.
Vermont Country Store has sought to acquire Mountain Weavers for decades, but owners David and Bonnie Rihm weren’t ready to retire until recently.
“It’s good for us and great for our employees,” David Rihm said of the sale, which will keep all eight staffers on the job at manufacturer’s Dorset facility.
Vermont Country Store, which includes two retail locations in Weston and Rockingham, a head office in Manchester and catalog call and distribution center in Clarendon, will be the exclusive seller of “Mountain Weave” products.
“We began work earlier this year to ensure a smooth transition,” Vermont Country Store CEO Jim Hall said. “We are looking forward to working with them to bring their products to a growing number of customers.”
