The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Heritage Marketplace holds grand opening
Steven Hershberger said he’s “very pleased” with how business has been going at his store called Valley View, which sells items such as books, fabrics and home decor, since it opened on Aug. 1 in the Heritage Marketplace in Middlefield Township.
“It’s been a success for us,” he said.
Hershberger offered that assessment on Oct. 20 during the grand opening event at Heritage Marketplace, a multi-building site at 15848 Nauvoo Road that features 11 different stores.
A group of five Middlefield area residents launched Heritage Marketplace about six months ago when they bought the property that had been known as the Middlefield Market.
“We’re trying to generate a mix between Amish and non-Amish businesses, and offer a community-oriented place for people to come,” said Jerry Elliott, one of the owners.
Elliott, who also owns a local tax and accounting business and an ice-cream making business called Elliott’s Country Delights, purchased the Heritage Marketplace along with Jerry Miller, who is semi-retired; Robert Miller of Miller Fireplaces and ExCELL Energy; Nathan Stutzman, a partner in Stutzman Brothers Lumber; and Paul Wengerd, owner of Pine Craft Storage Barns.
Wengerd, in addition to being a co-owner of Heritage Marketplace, also is one of the newest business tenants at the shopping site. Pine Craft Storage Barns constructed a new 15,000-square-foot building on the eastern side of the Heritage Marketplace parking lot. Pine Craft previously had been located on Madison Road in Middlefield Township.
Other Heritage Marketplace stores include Country Collections; Country Arts and Jewelry; JMJ Stoves; Penny Pincher, a seller of new and used furniture;
and Rustic Rewind. Products sold at the marketplace range from yard and garden supplies to jewelry to bath and body products.
Elliott said stores in the marketplace open and close at variety of hours and on different days. He said he hopes to have the Heritage Marketplace website updated in the near future so the hours and days of operation for all stores are listed.
During the Oct. 20 grand opening event, a number of the retailers held sidewalk sales, offered discounts and conducted raffles.
One customer who attended the special event was Ronnie Speed of North Bloomfield. While browsing inside Yoder Bargains, Speed said he was impressed with cleanliness and orderly display of products in the marketplace stores.
Based on his experience on Oct. 20, Speed said he plans to make return trips to Heritage Marketplace.
“I’ve spotted a few things I want,” Speed said, mentioning that a metal detector of Yoder Bargains was high on his list.
Inside the Valley View store, Julianna Peterson of Huntsburg Township was viewing the selection of books along with her mother, Patty Trifiletti of Concord Township.
“I love it,” Peterson said, noting that Heritage Marketplace is close to her home and offers reasonable prices
on toys and other items for her 2 ½-month-old twin daughters, Madison and Annabelle.
Trifiletti also was impressed by Heritage Marketplace.
“It’s clean and the stores offer very reasonable prices,” she said. Trifiletti added that employees staffing the stores were friendly.
In addition to its lineup of stores, Heritage Marketplace also offers an event center that can be rented for events such as parties, auctions and family reunions. There is a kitchen located in the event center which serves breakfast and lunch, and can provide catering for special events at the site.
A flea market also takes place at Heritage Marketplace every Monday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Heritage Marketplace coowner Jerry Miller said he and his partners are working to attract more stores.
“It’s a very high-traffic area with potential here to grow,” he said.
Miller said the marketplace also should benefit because it’s located in the vicinity of a number of other retail stores.
“The more retail stores we have around here, the better,” Jerry said. “Every store can help each other.”
For more information on Heritage Marketplace, call Jerry Miller at 440-4771058.