Here's What's Happening at East Polk Rotary

Hello Rotarians,

Well, Spring is finally here, but with snow flurries in the air yesterday and even some this morning (near Lutheran Hospital) the prospect of warm and sunny days still seems a little dubious to me.  Fortunately we conduct our meetings inside and last week we heard from Jason Truman, the general manager of Altoona's Bass Pro Shop.  Jason initially spoke about Bass Pro's history and how its founder Johnny Morris started the company.  Today Bass Pro Shops have 770 stores nationwide and plan to add 50% more in the next three years. 

Each store is unique and reflects the local outdoor scene, whether its emphasis is on hunting, fishing, etc.  The store sizes range from 20,000 square feet to 300,000 square feet (which, by the way, is three times the size of the average Super Walmart).  The Altoona store's footprint is 145,000 square feet and employs 250 associates, swelling to over 300 during the holidays.  Jason spoke about the challenges in building right before the Great Recession and how virtually all of the land south of the store is still undeveloped.  However, he believes that it will change in the near future, and that the traffic flow to the Altoona store will increase with customers visiting other retailers. 

Tomorrow is our monthly business meeting and golf challenge.  We are still one week away from Food Pantry Day, but if you're out shopping this week, the desired items are canned cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups.  Regular sized cans work best, not the 'family size.'  Thanks.

We'll see everyone in the morning!