Wendell August looks to rebuilding


Staff report

Grove city, pa.

Four months after a devastating fire that destroyed its flagship store and workshop, Wendell August Forge is moving forward with the rebuilding process.

The company, which makes handcrafted metal giftware, recently signed an option agreement to purchase 6 acres of land adjacent to Grove City Prime Outlets. The agreement gives Wendell August six months to decide if the property meets the company’s needs.

If the land is deemed appropriate, Wendell August will rebuild its company headquarters. The new site would include a new flagship store, an interactive history center, a workshop, a distribution center and administrative offices.

The new facility could open as early as October 2011, the company said in a press release.

The company has been working out of a temporary forge since a March 6 fire destroyed the old headquarters. Wendell August has a temporary flagship in the Slovak Folk Crafts building on South Center Street.

The company has been evaluating several available sites in Grove City and Mercer since March.

“This property presents us with a great opportunity to stay in Grove City, which has been our home since 1932,” company president Will Knecht said in the release. “The local community has been so supportive in helping us to continue to do business after the fire.”

Wendell August cannot rebuild on its former Madison Avenue site because the property is no longer big enough for a building that would accommodate all of its operations.

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