By By Adam Prestridge
Atmore residents will have another reason to keep their tax dollars at home later this month.
Earlier this week, officials with Factory Connection announced Feb. 28 as the Grand Opening date for the Atmore store, which has been under construction for the past several months.
"Small towns are our specialty and Atmore is the perfect fit for us," Factory Connection president Terry Scott said. "We are extremely excited about coming to Atmore, we have wanted to come here for a long time and feel this is the right location. I am sure the people of Atmore will enjoy shopping at the Factory Connection, with great selection of name brand fashions at low prices."
According to a release issued Wednesday, Factory Connection specializes in providing junior, misses, plus and men's fashions at affordable prices. Factory Connection stores offer brand name fashions and department/specialty store labels at 25 to 60 percent off regular price.
Scott said Factory Connection selections are similar to Marshall's and TJ Maxx with "small-town flavor." He said Factory Connection stores are staffed with well-trained personnel who are supported by an experienced team of store managers, area managers, buyers and operations personnel.
Atmore mayor Howard Shell said he looks forward to the contributions the new retail store will offer the community.
"We're certainly glad to have Factory Connection as part of retail community," he said. "And I know that all of the citizens of Atmore are glad to know that they have another opportunity to shop in town and we welcome them to the City of Atmore and look forward to a long, pleasant relationship."
Factory Connection will help to fill a void at the shopping center located on Church Street. Several buildings that have been empty eyesores to the city have been filling up the past several months, which is pleasing to Shell.
"Obviously, we like to see any of the buildings that have been vacant have new businesses located in them and we are gradually seeing this throughout town," Shell said.
Shell added that he believes the community, as a whole, should be commended for helping secure the new business.
"That says a lot about the citizens of Atmore, that they are shopping more at home and making it more enticing for businesses to want to locate in town," he said.
Factory Connection first opened it doors in 1976 in Guntersville. Scott, who oversees all merchandising and Kenny Littleton, vice-president, in charge of all store operations are the owners of the company. Factory Connection has grown from a one-store operation to a 200-store operation, now located in 11 states throughout the Southeast. Those stores are located across the Southeast, in Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Louisiana.
Scott said Factory Connection's success is attributed to providing it customers with an affordable wardrobe with the latest fashions, conveniently located in small towns. He buys directly from the industry's leading fashion manufacturers in New York and California allows Factory Connection to offer name brands at an affordable price.
Factory Connection's home office as well as its 65,000-square-foot distribution center is located in Albertville. Factory Connection employs more than 626 people throughout the company.
For more information visit Factory Connection's Web site, www.factory-connection.com.