Renovations Under Way for Duluth Trading Shop

With the renovation process under way for its new location, the Duluth Trading Company is set to occupy the entire first floor of the former Smith Brothers building this fall, and, according to a company official, they hope to provide an "interesting shopping experience."

The company hopes to open the location sometime during fall 2012, with a grand opening celebration in October, according to Duluth's Marketing Manager Scott Deryuter. So far, the company's logo has been attached to the building; interior work is still in progress, and workers can usually be spotted on the premises.

"We're very excited," Deruyter said. "Right now, it's just a matter of getting in there and cutitng holes, getting things going."

, the company will also incorporate the into its new location, and shoppers will be able to stop in for a cup of coffee or something to eat.

DeRyuter said lifetime Port Washington resident Lisa Krier has been chosen as manager of the new location, and she is now being trained at the other Duluth location.

Here's more from an earlier press release on the new location:

Wisconsin-based Duluth Trading Company will make extensive renovations to the 8,000 square feet of selling space and add its signature brand personality to the space. Part of the main floor, which now houses the Smith Bros. Coffee House, will remain and become a part of the new store. The coffee shop will offer store customers a place to grab a bite to eat, sip on some coffee and relax while shopping the company’s selection of rugged, solution-based gear. Duluth Trading Co. will also be hiring a local management team and associates from the Port Washington area.

Steve Schlecht, CEO of Duluth Trading Co., chose Port Washington as the home of the company’s second retail store for good reason. “The Port Washington area and landmark Smith Bros. Fish Shanty in the heart of the historic downtown will make this Duluth Trading store a destination,” says Schlecht. “We’re fortunate to have found the Smith Bros. building and look forward to becoming part of a vital downtown Port Washington.”

The Smith Bros. landmark building in Port Washington, which has served as a symbol of the city’s rich fishing heritage since it was built by the Smith family in 1954, has been a destination for locals and tourists for its locally caught fish. It is located prominently on the city’s picturesque main street at 100 North Franklin Street, and offers sweeping views of Lake Michigan, the marina and the historic art deco lighthouse.  

Duluth Trading’s flagship store in Mount Horeb, WI, opened in 2010 in an 1882 mercantile building, home to the village’s hardware store for over 100 years. Schlecht wanted the company’s second store to have a similar look and feel, which was why he chose the iconic Port Washington building.