Shannon Litz/Nevada AppealJoshua Meshberger, 3, chooses a toy vehicle from a display at Kohl's on Wednesday during the store's grand opening.
A crowd had already gathered by 6:45 a.m. Wednesday for the grand opening of Kohl's - an event that has been hoped for ever since Mervyn's closed its doors there in south Carson City in December 2008.
"I'm here for linens," said Peggy Killgore. "I used to go to the Kohl's in Reno, so this is really nice. I'm even out here with wet hair because the best time to get towels is when they're $2.99 apiece, and it's first-come, first-served."
Shoppers, dignitaries, employees and well-wishers gathered with Kohl's District Manager Mike Rubringer at the front doors Wednesday morning as Mayor Bob Crowell and Kohl's Employee of the Month Linda Kozak cut the ribbon, officially opening the store for business.
"You're not only filling a vacant building," Crowell said, "you're putting a whole bunch of people to work."
Store manager MaryAnn Iverson said Kohl's has a tradition of caring about its communities through its policy, "Kohl's Cares."
"This is a symbol of our continued commitment to the community we serve," she said, adding that nationwide, Kohl's employs 4,000 people and in Carson City, the company hired 130.
"We are tremendously proud to have a Kohl's here, not just for greater shopping alternatives," Crowell said.
"People tend to focus on the unemployment percentages, but behind every percent, there are faces and families," he said, praising Kohl's for putting so many Carson City residents back to work.
The department store attracted about 3,000 job applicants.
For Sonya Blacker of Carson City, having Kohl's in town is a great convenience.
"I'm here for a new Rosetti purse and I've never been to a grand opening before," Blacker said. "But I'll also check out the clothes, and I love kitchenware, because I love to cook."
Kohl's employee Andrew Gitthens cheerfully chatted with shoppers as he directed them to the next available cashier.
"We didn't think we were going to make it on time, setting up the store for this, but we had to kick it in gear," he said, laughing.
After doing her shopping, Killgore checked out with her towel purchases.
"I saved $40," she said triumphantly.
The Carson City store is one of 30 to open this year, including 21 this fall. It's Nevada's 12th Kohl's location.