HISTORIC GENERAL STORE SHOWCASES
LOCAL PRODUCTS
Northern New England general stores are iconic and a vital part of the community. In 2012 Emily Maclure purchased the Craftsbury General Store in Craftsbury, VT. She has developed the business as the anchor of the small community and a destination for visitors.
Raised in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Emily left to pursue a career in event planning and the restaurant industry. Contemplating a return to New England, she discovered the Craftsbury General Store was for sale. Following meetings with Hope Colburn of Community National Bank, Emily was referred to NCIC to pursue an SBA Loan. Financing was secured, including a loan from NCIC to acquire the store inventory and the purchase was completed.
” I feel really lucky to have had the experience I have had with NCIC. They were able to make the purchase of my store seamless and continue to offer educational resources, technical assistance, and grant opportunities. This type of support is hard to come by. ” -Emily Maclure, Owner Craftsbury General Store
Following the purchase of the business Emily quickly got to work blending a mix of locally sourced products with traditional general store inventory. The store, built and operated since the mid-1800’s, now features products from over 150 vendors. The result has become attractive to both local residents and those visiting the region. As with any new business owner, challenges were presented. Emily began working with NCIC Financial Technical Advisor Barb Cander to have a strategic approach to the store’s bookkeeping and the use of QuickBooks accounting software.
As the business’s reputation grew, Emily parlayed the stores popular fresh baked goods and homemade foods into a successful catering business. The next planned project is to utilize cost sharing facilitated by NCIC, to secure a vendor to redesign the store’s website.
For more information on the store, and their diverse offering of authentic New England products visit: craftsburygeneralstore.com