Friday, August 17, 2007
Sportsman's Warehouse Blasts Cabela's Subsidies
Sportsman's Warehouse plans Billings outlet
By JAN FALSTAD
Of The Gazette Staff
A Utah-based competitor to Cabela's is coming to town.
Sportsman's Warehouse, which has run a store in Missoula for two years and will open stores in Helena and Bozeman by Thanksgiving, is negotiating a lease on land at 3112 King Ave. W., next to Johnny Carino's.
"We looked a couple of times in the past, but could never find an appropriate site," said Chief Executive Stu Utgaard. "I think this site on King Avenue will work."
Assuming the lease terms work out, a tire supply company that has been at that site for years will be torn down to make room for a 65,000-square-foot Sportsman's Warehouse. About three years ago, the tire business was sold and now is called Lisac's Tire Supply.
After starting with a small store in Salt Lake City in 1996, Utgaard said he will be running 67 stores by November. He expects to employ about 6,000 people by the end of this year to operate 5 million square feet of retail space. The Billings store will employ 70 people when it opens next March, Utgaard said.
When asked if he was trying to compete directly with Cabela's in this market, Utgaard listed half a dozen cities where they compete - from San Antonio, Texas, to Sioux Falls, S.D., to Spokane, Wash.
"They can't control what I do and I can't control what they do," he said. "We do intend to build a store in Billings."
A California-based front company that builds stores for the Nebraska-based Cabela's has submitted paperwork to the City/County Planning Department to buy land in Billings. The site lies off of Interstate 90 and the South Billings Boulevard exit. However, Cabela's has never formally announced that it is building here.
"We have yet to receive anything with their name on it," said Planning Director Candy Beudry.
Foursquare Properties executives were in town two weeks ago to discuss a tax increment district for that area, she said, which would help new businesses in that area pay development costs.
Cabela's uses the moniker "The World's Foremost Outfitter," and Sportsman's Warehouse uses "America's Premier Outfitter" in its advertising.
Meanwhile, Utgaard had strong words for his competitor and other big-box stores that seek public subsidies for building projects.
"Costco, Super Wal-Mart, Super Target, Home Depot, Lowe's and Kohl's all have higher sales per store than Cabela's, but nobody gives them money," Utgaard said. "They don't even ask for it, and they are very beneficial to the local community."
Utgaard said he has no public subsidies at any of his stores and has refused them when offered.
"If you take money and you give it to private enterprise of any type, then you're taking money away from school programs, police protection, fire protection, parks and so on and even to build a diamond interchange in Helena, which would benefit countless businesses," he said.
An interchange has long been planned for Helena at the Interstate 15 exit at Custer Avenue, where Utgaard is building his store.
Contact Jan Falstad at jfalstad@ billingsgazette.com or 657-1306.
Copyright ¦#169; The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
Published on Friday, August 17, 2007.
Last modified on 8/17/2007 at 7:41 am
Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By JAN FALSTAD
Of The Gazette Staff
A Utah-based competitor to Cabela's is coming to town.
Sportsman's Warehouse, which has run a store in Missoula for two years and will open stores in Helena and Bozeman by Thanksgiving, is negotiating a lease on land at 3112 King Ave. W., next to Johnny Carino's.
"We looked a couple of times in the past, but could never find an appropriate site," said Chief Executive Stu Utgaard. "I think this site on King Avenue will work."
Assuming the lease terms work out, a tire supply company that has been at that site for years will be torn down to make room for a 65,000-square-foot Sportsman's Warehouse. About three years ago, the tire business was sold and now is called Lisac's Tire Supply.
After starting with a small store in Salt Lake City in 1996, Utgaard said he will be running 67 stores by November. He expects to employ about 6,000 people by the end of this year to operate 5 million square feet of retail space. The Billings store will employ 70 people when it opens next March, Utgaard said.
When asked if he was trying to compete directly with Cabela's in this market, Utgaard listed half a dozen cities where they compete - from San Antonio, Texas, to Sioux Falls, S.D., to Spokane, Wash.
"They can't control what I do and I can't control what they do," he said. "We do intend to build a store in Billings."
A California-based front company that builds stores for the Nebraska-based Cabela's has submitted paperwork to the City/County Planning Department to buy land in Billings. The site lies off of Interstate 90 and the South Billings Boulevard exit. However, Cabela's has never formally announced that it is building here.
"We have yet to receive anything with their name on it," said Planning Director Candy Beudry.
Foursquare Properties executives were in town two weeks ago to discuss a tax increment district for that area, she said, which would help new businesses in that area pay development costs.
Cabela's uses the moniker "The World's Foremost Outfitter," and Sportsman's Warehouse uses "America's Premier Outfitter" in its advertising.
Meanwhile, Utgaard had strong words for his competitor and other big-box stores that seek public subsidies for building projects.
"Costco, Super Wal-Mart, Super Target, Home Depot, Lowe's and Kohl's all have higher sales per store than Cabela's, but nobody gives them money," Utgaard said. "They don't even ask for it, and they are very beneficial to the local community."
Utgaard said he has no public subsidies at any of his stores and has refused them when offered.
"If you take money and you give it to private enterprise of any type, then you're taking money away from school programs, police protection, fire protection, parks and so on and even to build a diamond interchange in Helena, which would benefit countless businesses," he said.
An interchange has long been planned for Helena at the Interstate 15 exit at Custer Avenue, where Utgaard is building his store.
Contact Jan Falstad at jfalstad@ billingsgazette.com or 657-1306.
Copyright ¦#169; The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
Published on Friday, August 17, 2007.
Last modified on 8/17/2007 at 7:41 am
Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
