Dollar Tree acquires Family Dollar
Monongah project? Who knows?

Family Dollar Stores, which has been promising for eons to build a store in Monongah at Camden Avenue and Walnut Street, on July 6 was acquired by Dollar Tree.

Gary Philbin was named president/CEO of the bought-out Family Dollar Stores.

Dollar Tree, whose headquarters is in Chesapeake, Virginia, has 4,900 stores. Family Dollar, based in Matthews, North Carolina, had 1,400 stores. Dollar General, out of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, has more than 10,000 stores.

Says Monongah Town Recorder Patty Steele McCombs of this Monongah process, which has been like a centipede racing a turtle since early 2014:

“The mayor (Greg Vandetta) keeps in contact with a Family Dollar representative. We were last told that our project is still going to happen.

"Family Dollar does own the property. Mr. Kittsmiller said he has never known them to have purchased property and not finished the project. We have to keep in mind that Family Dollar has went thru a major changeover and was bought out by another company during this time frame.”

In November 1959, Leon Levine opened the first Family Dollar store in Charlotte, North Carolina. Eventually, Paul and David Kitzmiller took over the company. And now Dollar Tree has Family Dollar’s assets.

The Huntington Bank building was razed at the site where the Pulice, Fiori and Gumont families took turns living before the home was torn down to make way for the bank.

Folks have been waiting ever since for a Dollar store, by whatever name, to be constructed.

Core Resources, under Family Dollar’s wing, had 60 stores under construction or just on paper, like Monongah’s project.

As children we used to play baseball on the vacant land across the street from the Carlot Grill against a team put together by the late Bill Birdsell, who married Fairmont Field Club pro Reggie Spencer’s daughter, Barbara, and became a golf course maintenance guru in Florida.

Because “Dollar” is in the name of stores from different companies, here’s how it breaks down in Marion and Harrison counties:

Family Dollar: Fairhills Plaza, 609 Bellview Boulevard, Fairmont; 917 E. Park Avenue, Fairmont; 204 S. Pike Street, Shinnston.

Dollar General: 1228 Country Club Road, Fairmont; 4584 Freedom Highway, Worthington; Middletown Hall, White Hall; 218 Adams Street, Fairmont.

There should one tremendous celebration in Monongah when, or if, a Dollar store by whatever name finally pops its head up in the town.