H.J. Martin & Son, Inc.

Scope Of Work

When general merchandisers Shopko and Pamida decided to merge into a larger retail chain operating under the Shopko name, they called H.J. Martin and Son to assist. Existing Pamida locations were converted to the Shopko Hometown store concept with the goal of improving the shopping experience and providing access to a broader selection of merchandise. The large-scale project included updating interior and exterior signage, installing new flooring, refashioning store fixtures and instituting an improved store design overall – a conversion program ideally suited to the cross-trained, multi-divisional workforce of H.J. Martin and Son. Shopko is a $3 billion retailer operating more than 330 stores in 21 states, along with 176 Shopko Hometown locations. H.J. Martin and Son has been trusted with work by Shopko for more than a quarter-century.

Project Details

The aggressive project to convert Pamida stores into Shopko Hometown stores spanned an eight-month period from May through December of 2012; store footprints ranged from 18,000 to 42,000 square feet, and each store was completed in five weeks.

Installers worked in as many as 28 stores at a time, throughout the Midwest and extending into Montana, Wyoming and Tennessee; 161 flooring replacements were handled after the entire exclusive contract was won through a competitive bidding process.

Each store remained open throughout the conversion process, in part to maintain customer access to its pharmacy, with H.J. Martin and Son personnel using soft-skill training to work effectively within that environment.