Great Northern Drug closes

by Peter Jakey

Managing Editor

With the new year, everyone is eager to say goodbye to 2008 and put the nation’s economic troubles in the past.

But the economy has claimed another local business.

The final day of 2008 brought an end to Great Northern Drug (GNC) at the corner of State Street and M-211. It was the last day the pharmacy was open for business. Owner Jan Bieri cited the ?economy? and ?operating costs? for the closing.

?I THINK MOST of my customers knew of the ongoing struggle,? said Bieri, in a telephone interview Thursday morning. ?The last year or two has not been easy, but (the customers) have been wonderful, and loyal, and good friends, and I?m going to miss everybody.?

Bieri owns The Ben Franklin Store, which has moved into the GND building. It will remain open. The windows of the pharmacy are now covered. With the business closing, three people lost their jobs. Eight remain employed by Bieri at Ben Franklin. She said they are handling all applicable record transfers for their former customers.

Bieri purchased Davis Drug in 1985 when it was located in the building now occupied by Bobby B?s Pizza. She relocated into a decade-long vacant building that would be the home of GND for the next 23 years. The previous tenant was Vogelheim Hardware.

AT WEDNESDAY?S Onaway City Commission meeting, during commission reports, Chuck Abshagen said he had been contacted by severa

l people in the community, who are concerned that with the closing of the town?s only pharmacy, they would have to drive to Indian River, Rogers City or Cheboygan to get their medicine.

He asked city manager Joe Hefele to contact the Onaway Area Chamber of Commerce executive director to see if they could put out ?some feelers? to bring another pharmacy in.

A group of local business leaders are already looking at keeping the service close to home.

The owners of the family-owned Tom?s Family Market have expressed an interest in possibly opening a pharmacy at their State Street building.

Co-owner Bryan Madison said they are looking at what steps need to be taken to possibly open a new pharmacy in the grocery store, but added, that he doesn?t want to get anyone?s hopes up.

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