State of the art pumps that will soon turn on with your smart phone app is just another innovation in a long history of Merrill’s hometown developer, Gary Schwartz. TV screens on the Mobil pumps at Pine Ridge Mobil that could usher motorists from Hwy. 51 to events in Merrill or to downtown stores is another reason to visit this rapidly changing piece of Central Wisconsin real estate.
Beginning in 1976, 26-year-old Gary Schwartz was turned down by the financial institutions in the area to build Merrill’s first convenience store and gas stations at the Hwy. 64 exit of the new four-lane freeway going around Merrill. Gary showed a tenacity that has not quit, and Raymond and Verna Schwartz believed in their son enough to back him with a loan on their mortgage free home. That loan turned out to be an investment in Merrill when all that was out there was “me and dirt and bugs,” quipped Gary. Old timers remember Pine River Cheese Factory (McDonald’s corner) and Gatterman’s Chicken Farm up on the hill of now Pine Ridge Avenue.
The recent huge investment in Merrill is Gary’s 5th remodel of this location as he and Mary Schwartz begin their 40th year in business. Not one to do things half hearted, the owners removed the east pumps and investing in 10 fuel stations with 93 octane or 91 octane with no ethanol. Soon the TV screens on the pumps could carry commercials, advertising, local news, other businesses in the area as well as events like the Lincoln Lager Barleyfest coming Oct. 4. The last major project was in 1991, when Schwartz discovered building new was only $10,000 more than “remodeling” the existing gas station.
“We were the first in Lincoln County to electronically scan merchandise; even before the grocery stores,” said Mary.
What drives Gary and Mary Schwartz to invest when many their age are thinking about retirement? “It’s what we do; who we are, besides many developers overlook Merrill as a good place to do business, I want to change that perception.”
These pumps are jumping over the soon to be released micro-chip credit cards used in Europe, that have a much lower probability of fraud than America’s magnetic strips, to a Mobil app that senses when you are near the pumps and turns them on. “Pine Ridge Convenience Store was hoping Mobil was ready to unveil nationwide service from the test areas on Oct. 1, but we’ve not been given the go ahead yet,” remarked Mary. “We want to be ready when Mobil is.”
“The addition of an Arby’s franchise is good for the corner; Merrill didn’t need another burger venue,” states Gary. “We selected 10 franchises to explore. It would have been easy to build another A&W, and we were approved for other franchises but chose Arby’s because they aren’t in Lincoln County and for their growing, not ready to coast attitude. Watch for announcements of the management team as we get closer to finishing that structure.”
Gary & Mary credit their Pine Ridge Convenience Store 24/7 staff with embracing the changes and being flexible as the walls and equipment are going up. A partnership with Drew’s Piggly Wiggly using Pig Points to allow customers to save money on fuel is not common when two families are independent owners. “Steve Drew and I realize we both have tough competition out here now. We’re gonna fight for our hometown small business owners,” said Gary.
“We appreciate our customers for their adaptability and flexibility to continue to fuel out here during our construction phases,” Mary added. “It was truly a mess at times. We will soon begin a major remodel of the store.”