Nothing in the business world stays the same for long, a fact supported by recent news in Macon County.
The Peebles department store will close soon and reopen next year as a Gordmans discount store. Macon Appliance is closing after more than 80 years in business. And a collective that planned to organize and expand the fast-growing hemp business in the county is now looking outside the county as a location for its operations.
The Macon Hemp Collective drew lots of attention in August when organizers announced plans to move into a 48,000-square-foot building on Ulco Drive to launch a CBD oil-production facility and purchase 30 acres here to plant hemp.
At an open house at the Carpenter Community Center, owners sketched out plans to make Macon County the center of hemp and CBD oil production in Western North Carolina. They touted an initial investment of $30 million after buying the building on Ulco Drive.
Those plans are on hold after the cooperative failed to close on the Franklin property, and while representatives said they still have future plans for Franklin, for the time being there will be no “Macon” in Macon Hemp Collective.
“That building slipped through our fingers,” said Don Pickett, a consultant with Macon Hemp Cooperative.
The company is now looking at a property in Whittier.
The company has set up a nonprofit corporation, Southern Atlantic Hemp “to spearhead the promotional and educational side of the industry,” Pickett said, including staging a series of expos across the Southeast.
“We eventually want to move to Franklin anyway, even if we get the Whittier property,” Pickens said. “If we end up coming to Franklin that would be another manufacturing facility. In between Atlanta and Asheville, Franklin is an ideal location for us.”
A business stalwart closing
Macon Appliance, which as been serving local customers for more than 80 years, plans to close after the current liquidation sale concludes.
L.T. Gilbreath and his cousin Mike Gilbreath bought Macon Appliance in 2013.
“We want to thank Franklin, Highlands, Cashiers, and the surrounding areas for many years of loyal business and referrals. For that, we are truly grateful! It is now time to move on to the next exciting chapter,” co-owner L.T. Gilbreath said.
Peebles in transition
After 17 years of doing business in Franklin, Peebles Department Store is selling all its merchandise as it prepares to close and reopen next year as a Gordmans discount department store.
The change is part of the corporate strategy of Stage Stores, which owns both retailers.
“Stage is excited to announce it will convert the Peebles located in Franklin to a Gordmans off-price retailer in 2020,” said Blakeley Graham, manager of store publicity at Stage Stores.
Gordmans, in business for more than 100 years, carries “popular name brand apparel, home décor, footwear, gifts, accessories, fragrances and more for the entire family,” according to a company statement.
“During the transition of our stores to Gordmans, our associates at these stores will be offered jobs at Gordmans,” Blakely said. “Additional associates will be hired during job fairs, which will be announced at a later date.”
As of Sept. 17, Stage Stores operated in 42 states, with 158 Gordmans stores and 625 stores operating as Bealls, Goody’s, Palais Royal, Peebles and Stage specialty department stores.
Gordmans stores are predominantly located in Midwest markets.
Stage Stores has converted 98 stores to Gordmans and plans to have the conversion completed by the third quarter of 2020.
Gordmans’ merchandise mix in 2018: Home 28 percent, Women’s apparel 27 percent, Men’s apparel 14 percent, Children’s apparel 13; Accessories, 8 percent; Footwear 6 percent, Beauty, 4 percent.