Expansion was natural for Basics
Podcast Episode
Kyle Geissler talks with Janesville Gazette business editor Jim Leute about a new location for a Basics Cooperative Natural Foods.
Photo
Basics has a new store with a green focus renovated building on Lodge Drive.
Photo
The new location of Basics in a renovated building on Lodge Drive has gone green including the floor that is made from recycled products.
Photo
Dave and Sue Hurkman from Delavan shop for produce at the new Basics on Lodge Drive.
JANESVILLE — The parking lot was jammed, with the exception of the two stalls reserved for electrical vehicles in need of a charge.
That's not unusual on the first Tuesday of the month, the day Basics Cooperative Natural Foods has dubbed "Super Tuesday" for the savings it offers.
But inside Basics there was plenty of room to roam, and that is unusual.
Elbow room was one of the reasons Basics moved from its store on Woodman Road to a much larger location at 1711 Lodge Drive, the former home of Hancock Fabrics.
Basics opened Sept. 25 in the 15,000-square-foot building. It's using 11,000 square feet as selling space, which is considerably more than it filled on Woodman Road.
In addition to the added space, the new site allows Basics to offer more products. The produce section is bigger, as is the area offering gluten-free products. Customers now can get fresh meat, pick up some sushi or shop the deli or salad bar.
An adjoining community room will seat 75 and is available for classes or meetings.
"We did extensive customer surveys to see what people want at Basics," said Lynnette Wirth, the store's general manager. "We're owned by our customers, so we do what they want us to do."
In 2005, David Roang, the son of one of Basics' founders, came up with the idea to turn Basics into a cooperative. The co-op, which now has more than 1,500 members, is buying the business from Roang.
"We've added about 100 members just in the last couple weeks as the excitement about the new store grew," Wirth said.
The expansion will boost the store's employment from 32 to 47.
Part of Roang's thinking was the probability that Basics would some day need a larger store.
That day is now, and green building methods were the order of the day with the store's renovation.
Instead of buying new refrigeration units, the store bought used. Those units are cooled by a centralized compressor, which eliminated the need for several individual compressors. The new compressor generates a lot of heat, which will warm water tanks and shoppers.
The floor is made from recycled materials, and all painted surfaces have minimal volatile organic compounds.
Fifteen solar panels soon will be installed to offset electricity costs.
Wirth said Basics is working toward Green Globe certification, a set of sustainable development principles that came out of the Rio Earth Summit of 1992.
"It's important that we're friendly to the environment," Wirth said.
The green philosophy is a natural extension of the co-op's values, she said.
Construction at the new building, which is owned by the Madison-based Sara Investment Real Estate, started in May. Basics used local contractors on the project, which was overseen by Marklein Builders.
"Nobody said it could be done for less than $1 million," Wirth said of the project.
But it was completed for considerably less—$450,000 borrowed from Sara at a favorable interest rate and tacked on to the store's monthly rent.
STORE HOURS
Basics is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Oct 9, 2008 at 4:04 p.m.
Suggest removal
Get a life people. It's just an article about a store. Not a story about the World coming to an end.
Oct 9, 2008 at 10:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
Clouds is being immature and I don't think she deserves any more attention on a blog that is about a great store that does great things for the community.
Oct 9, 2008 at 10:12 a.m.
Suggest removal
Does that mean your NOT shopping there again clouds??
Oct 9, 2008 at 9:39 a.m.
Suggest removal
clouds--your first comment was very combative. You got from other posters what you put out. I don't think calling someone a loser on a blog is constructive. you should probably expect people to come to a man's defense if you call him a loser.
Oct 9, 2008 at 8:49 a.m.
Suggest removal
I just wanted to clarify something that clouds interpreted from quam's comment about Basics. Peter's legacy has not continued at Basics, except to fill the natural foods, supplements, and beauty care needs of people in the region. I think quam's intent was asking you not to go into the store raving about how horrible Peter was. The majority of the employees who work there didn't even meet Peter. But the number of those who worked for Peter lived through Peter's week-long illness and death. And that was painful.
Basics is nothing like it used to be. It is now owned by over 1400 people who are proud to be members of such a progressive establishment in Janesville. People come from Illinois and the whole Southern WI region to fill their natural food, supplement, and beauty care needs. If that is a need you have that needs to be filled, I fully encourage you to at least visit the store once and give it a chance. Talk to the new management. There is only one manager there who worked for Peter. It's difficult to continue a man's legacy if you know nothing of him. Yes, Peter was a great community asset, and fought hard for peace. But there were many people who disagreed with Peter, and I just don't want that to keep people from the wonderful new gem that Basics Cooperative is. I am sorry that your baby was injured at the store, and that he didn't respond how you wished he would have. But I hope that your heart someday is settled about that. I'll say a prayer for you.
Oct 9, 2008 at 2:34 a.m.
Suggest removal
That's a loooooong time to nurse a grudge, especially over something as common as a broken shopping cart wheel.
Oct 8, 2008 at 6 p.m.
Suggest removal
Well said, quam6535. Peter was an amazing man who did phenomenal things for Janesville. I visited the store yesterday and found it absolutely wonderful. KUDOS to all the coop members, volunteers and staff who made the expansion possible! Great job being the first (?) store in Janesville to enable plugging in electric cars while shopping!
Oct 8, 2008 at 5:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
Why is it only in English class that spelling, grammar, and punctuation count? No wonder students don't take their education seriously when the adults of a community refuse to role model how skills learned in school DO actually transfer into other areas of "the real world." Sorry for being off topic. I am very excited about the new expansion of Basics!
Oct 8, 2008 at 5:35 p.m.
Suggest removal
Clouds, I understand you are frustrated with something that happened almost ten years ago, but be careful with what accusations you are throwing around. Please don't refer to someone you didn't know as a "mean guy" Believe me, Peter was a phenomenal human being that tried to help anyone and everyone in the community that he could. Please don't go into basics telling them how you will shop there now, because Peter died. Everyone there is like a family, and Peter was like their father. It is still a very hard reality for everyone to deal with, to try and move on with the vision, even now that Peter is gone. What happend might have been on a bad day, and the person you talked to, might have not even been Peter. Basics is a wonderful store, with wonderful employees who truly care for the community and it's health.
Oct 8, 2008 at 2:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
Why can't we just post a comment, and leave it at that??? Is this an English class, NO... so who cares about spelling? Good Lord, comment on the story and be done with it!
Oct 8, 2008 at 2:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
Open mouth......Insert Foot
Oct 8, 2008 at 1:27 p.m.
Suggest removal
speak...sorry spellcheckers...
Oct 8, 2008 at 1:19 p.m.
Suggest removal
clouds--it might ease your mind to know that the loser that you spesak of died in 2003 and the store has completely changed since then. The new store has brand new carts. gina--nobody references Peter in this article, except to say that he was "one of Basics' founders". Why would they recognize Debra when they didn't even recognize Peter?
Oct 8, 2008 at 1 p.m.
Suggest removal
holding
loser
Oct 8, 2008 at 12:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
cloud accidents can happen- get over it. i am sure they have the money now for new carts.
*
*
i was in on tuesday. it is just a nice feeling store when you walk in and everyone is glad to help you. had some sushi and it was very good. HUGE selection of items.
Oct 8, 2008 at 12:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
The podcast as I post is a segment about Simmons, not Basics.
Oct 8, 2008 at 10:58 a.m.
Suggest removal
Deb Ramsdell was also a co-owner of Basics. She and Peter both started the store way back. She deserves recognition for this too.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.