ARCOLA – Cases of grocery items don’t always make it to your local retailer in good condition. Sometimes they get dropped or hit and damaged by fork trucks. Things happen between the factory and the grocery aisle.
Because of the packaging damage or blemishes, you likely won’t find that marred up canned good on the shelf at major food stores.
One local Amish family found that there’s still a need for salvage grocery items and they’ve been in this business for more than 45 years in Arcola.
Back on Sept. 1, 1969, Adlia Gingerich was inspired about this concept that there was a need for salvaged grocery items and he began running a small business out of his home’s basement. That’s when the Country Salvage store was born.
He explained that he would buy discounted grocery items that had sustained damage in shipping. He and his wife, Irene, would clean up the cans and containers and salvage what was still usable, price the items at a discount -- and sell.
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From these humble beginnings, Adlia Gingerich, now 72, said he was “just trying to make a living.”
Today, Country Salvage continues to thrive as a salvage grocery store and Adlia and Irene Gingerich have been joined by one of their eight children who helps run the family business. New ideas have been added to the business, but their primary focus is still selling salvaged goods at low prices.
Richard Gingerich, 46, and his wife, Pauline, are in a business partnership with his parents. The younger businessman said he pretty much grew up in the grocery business. He became serious about the career at age 14.
At the Arcola store, bargain hunters could save an estimated 25-30 percent on their grocery bills. But the store might not always have particular items each week, as they rely on warehouses to supply the damaged goods.
The Gingeriches also buy “close out” items and “close dated” items and sell them at a discount for a quick turnaround. The process involves getting the bargains from warehouses, cleaning and sorting the products and re-pricing each item at a cost savings to their customers.
After moving the business out of the house, they established themselves just a short distance from where they are now in their first real store. But space requirements kept becoming a problem and after 11 additions to their original store, they built a new store in rural Arcola.
About a year ago, the family opened a newly constructed, more modern store, still located about four miles west of Arcola at 435 East County Road 200 North, close to the original store.
Customers come to the store from a 40-50-mile radius, the Gringeriches said. The new retail side of the store is about 12,500 square feet, with the same amount of space for the warehouse. The store they left recently encompassed 7,500 square feet.
“We simply buy grocery items for less and then sell these items for less. We have 22 employees, most of them are full-time workers,” Richard Gingerich said. “My dad is still involved in the business, as well as being part owner.”
In addition to salvaged items, the new store has fresh meat, sliced cheeses and fresh produce. It offers some fresh baked goods, baking supplies and candies, plus laundry and cleaning supplies for your home. It also has name brand products.
The store is located at 435 East County Road, 200 North, Arcola. They can be reached by telephone at 217-268-3698. Country Salvage is open from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
