Before shoppers head over to the new ALCO department store in Moose Lake when it opens Thursday, Nov. 1, they should dig out their discarded cell phones and rechargeable batteries.
Outside the store, customers and other area residents will find large containers for recycling the batteries, which are also found in many portable electronics such as cordless telephones, laptop computers, and portable printers. They are also found in such gadgets as cordless power tools, camcorders, two-way radios and bar code readers. The batteries contain nickel, lithium and/or lead and are hazardous to the environment when simply thrown in regular trash containers.
As part of a national program called Call2Recycle™, ALCO's participation shows their commitment to protecting the environment, according to Bruce Dale, president and chief executive officer of Duckwall-ALCO Stores.
"We know that participating in Call2Recycle™ is the right thing to do," he said. "It is just one element of a much bigger environmental initiative we are putting into place in our stores."
Additionally, the Moose Lake store, the 11th ALCO in Minnesota, is one of the first to incorporate environmentally-friendly elements into its 20,000 square feet of space at 4791 County Road 10. These include pre-insulated wall panels to conserve energy and 100 percent recyclable steel in the roof, ceiling and walls.
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"We are confident that the new ALCO store will meet the needs of shoppers in Moose Lake and the surrounding community," said store manager Michael Orth. "We look forward to being involved in the community and serving shoppers with ALCO's wide selection of merchandise, convenient location and friendly, local service."
A grand opening celebration will take place starting at 7:45 a.m. on Nov. 1, with refreshments and a ribbon cutting by local dignitaries and some of the 30-employee staff.
The store hours will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Its full line of quality merchandise will be supplied from the 350,000-square-foot ALCO distribution center in Abilene, Kansas.
Area residents can expect ALCO circulars to arrive by mail. They and other consumers can also visit the company's Web site, www.ALCOstores.com , to view the circular and find other information.
ALCO Stores also offer Senior Discount Day every Monday. Those 62 and older can receive a 15 percent discount on all their purchases on that day.
Currently in its 106th year, Duckwall-ALCO Stores, Inc. was founded in 1901 in Abilene, Kansas and is a regional retailer specializing in meeting the needs of smaller, under served communities throughout the central U.S. The stores offer fashionable merchandise, quality products and recognized brand names at reasonable prices and have 251 stores across 21 states.
