Local business to celebrate 25 years

By Steve Keenan

Like the local post office or barber shop, the convenience store is often a good place to catch up on the day’s news.

The U-Save Convenient Mart is no different.

In operation for nearly a quarter of a century, the store — located along U.S. Rte. 60 beside Nuttall Middle School — has long been a place at which the visitor can accomplish many tasks. Of course, you can purchase fuel for your automobile or pick up a few things to tide you over until you undergo a lengthier jaunt to a more deeply stocked grocery store.

But that’s not the reason some of the folks stop by. They might simply want to see what happened at the previous night’s ball game or board of education meeting, or maybe find out if a neighbor is out of the hospital yet.

“We’re more than a store,” says Fred Miller, who owns U-Save along with his older brother, Ted. “We solve the world’s problems but we never get out of Lookout.”

The U-Save operates in a building which formerly housed the Dairy Mart, run by their father, Don, when Nuttall High was still open. Don Miller ran the Clifftop Community Store for 41 years and that community’s post office for 38 years.

“We’ve been around the grocery store business our whole life,” says Fred.

Ted is a 1975 graduate of defunct Nuttall High, while Fred graduated from Midland Trail High in 1977, that school’s first year in existence. Both have had children come through the local school system, and that’s one of the reasons they like to support those schools whenever possible.

Both have also been active in coaching and officiating local athletic activities over the years. A couple years back, Ted gave up an assistant coaching spot with the Midland Trail girls basketball program. Fred still officiates, although he’s now calling only basketball games.

The long hours required to make the small business a success leave little time for much else.

“If you own a business, you’ve got be there every day,” says Fred. “People think you come in one day a week and take the money home.”

“That’s why we don’t play golf,” Ted chimed in.

He also said the business has good workers.

“We’ve got great employees,” said Ted, mentioning Donna McMann, Pam Garrison and past employee Thelma Kennison.

On the July 4 weekend, the Millers will celebrate 25 years of operation. To commemorate the milestone, they plan to offer some special sales for customers.

“We want to thank our customers for 25 years,” said Fred. “As bad as the economy is, business here has been good.

“We’ve got a good local market.”

— E-mail: skeenan@register-herald.com

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