Murdoch's team gearing up for Tuesday opening

It's been nearly two years since the announcement that Murdoch's Ranch & Home Supply would be coming to Anaconda, but the wait is nearly over as the major retail outlet is set to open its doors to the public for its soft opening on Tuesday, June 27 at its new location on Anaconda's east side. 

And for Store Manager Kourtlan Adler, that opening also represents a homecoming as he grew up in the Smelter City, attending school both at Fred Moodry and Anaconda High School. 

"I never would've thought when I started at Murdoch's that I'd be back – that Anaconda and Murdoch's would join forces," said Adler, who transferred over to the new Anaconda store from Miles City in early May. "We're all really excited to be here."

Those words were echoed by his assistant managers, Robert Curran and Deanna Hentrick.

"I'm really excited for this store to open, and I'm even more excited to be in the community – it's way better than Missoula," said Hentrick, who transferred from the Murdoch's store in Missoula. 

"I'm absolutely on the same page as her – this is definitely a community with open arms," said Curran, who is new to Murdoch's having started over Memorial Day Weekend. "The people are excited, they're friendly and they're waiting for us to open." 

Hiring for the new store is now complete, with almost the entirety of the staff – at least 20 of the 26 employees – already living in Anaconda. 

"We stuck close to local," said Adler. "It was a really good application pool. It's a small staff right now, but hopefully we'll grow and grow and grow."

Even with no customers on site Wednesday the store was abuzz with activity as employees were putting the finishing touches on the departments, which range from clothing, with Western wear, casual wear and Montana wear being its specialties, to sporting goods to firearms to tools – Milwaukee and DeWalt will be the tool brands they carry, Adler said – as well as welding equipment, automotive supplies, RV supplies, and on the ranch side of things, tractor equipment, equine gates and panels, feeders, trailers, riding mowers and more. 

"Other than groceries we carry pretty much everything," Adler said – and even then pointed out that they carry plenty of snacks as well.

Tuesday's soft opening will be followed with a grand opening the weekend of July 21-23.

Murdochs' Ranch & Home Supply is located at 75 Fillmore St. near The Forge. Its hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., except on Sundays when it's open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (406) 797-2240.