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Angie Bossingham, Liz Hays, and Jennifer Schneider
purchased the Renew name and stock in October of 2017. That was a
transition period for the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce,
and the new owners did not get the opportunity to have a ribbon cut.
So, on Monday evening members of the business community joined
together to welcome the new owners to the business community.
Former Chamber Member/Ambassador Deron Powell and Joe Ryan were on
hand and held the ribbon for the cut. Kristi Powell, Kathy Horn, and
LDN’s Karen Hargis, also former ambassadors, were on hand as well.
Representing the city of Lincoln were City Clerk Peggy Bateman and
Mayor Seth Goodman.
Also in the crowd was a wide array of friends and family of the
owners and one of their two staff members, Roger Mote.
The ribbon cut was hosted by Lincoln Daily News, with all local
media being invited to join in.
The cut was kicked off with a few words from Nila Smith of LDN. It
was noted that the business had been a change of ownership and the
goal for the evening was to celebrate with the new owners their big
investment in the business community.
Lincoln is a town that is both blessed and challenged in that its
shopping district extends far beyond the downtown square. Smith
spoke about the importance of attractive and thriving businesses
along the Amtrak corridor along Chicago and Sangamon Streets and
said it was important for the city that a good face be put forward
to Amtrak travelers. Giving passengers a view of interesting stores
is one way to entice them to come back to Lincoln for a day of
exploring.
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According to a research survey by a national
retailers association, 15 percent of all retail shopping in the
country takes place in thrift, resale, and consignment stores. Smith
said to put that in perspective the same survey showed that only 20
percent of all retail shopping is done in big box stores. She said
that drives home the value of stores such as Renew to our community.
Mayor Seth Goodman said he wanted to congratulate the
new owners and thanked them for their investment in Lincoln. He
wished them the best of luck in the future.
Bossingham, Hays and Schneider then spoke collectively. Their first
priority was to recognize their two staff members whom they said are
an invaluable part of the business. All three of the owners work
full-time jobs in addition to owning Renew. They rely heavily on
Roger Mote and Jenni Mollett to keep things running smoothly at the
store.
They also expressed appreciation for family members that helped with
the heavy lifting and filled in the gaps such as babysitting and
helping with personal life tasks as the three owners have worked to
build the business.
All three echoed that without that personal support team, they would
not be able to do what they have done and that support means a great
deal to all three.
After taking a few posed pictures, the group helped with the
countdown to cut by calling out “3-2-1 snip!”
After the cut everyone was invited back inside the store for
refreshments and an opportunity to visit one-on-one with the owners,
and of course, do a little shopping.
Congratulations to Bossingham, Hays, and Schneider, best wishes and
good luck in your new business!
[Nila Smith] |
