Story originally printed in the Vernon Broadcaster or online at www.vernonbroadcaster.com
Published - Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Dahl Pharmacy to close June 28
Dahl Pharmacy in Viroqua will shut its doors for good on June 28 due to a buyout by national competitor Walgreens.
The business has been in Viroqua for more than 100 years and has been owned by four generations of the Dahl family.
Dahl Pharmacy owner Katherine Dahl said she informed employees on Sunday that she had reached a deal with Walgreens and would be closing the doors. She said all employees would be first in line for positions at the new Walgreens store that will open in Viroqua the following day, June 29.
"I thought about this for a long, long, long time," Dahl said. "I discussed it a lot with friends. I finally decided this was something I should do."
Dahl said she was concerned about the business and her employees with two new pharmacies set to open in June that would directly compete with her operation.
"The hospital will be opening its new pharmacy and Walgreens was also opening," Dahl said. "My concern was for the employees and to have continuity for them."
Dahl said as a part of the deal she reached with Walgreens executives, she will work for the company as a pharmacist for at least a year and all Dahl employees will be given first opportunity for employment at the new store.
"They were very interested in our employees because they know the people and they know the medical community here," Dahl said.
Dahl said the deal includes the prescription files of the pharmacy as well as the store's inventory of prescription and over-the-counter medication. Dahl said her store will close the evening of the June 28, the inventory and staff will move to the new store and Walgreens will open the morning of June 29.
Dahl said Walgreens emphasis on customers also sold her on the deal.
"I researched their company literature and they are really focused on the pharmacy aspect of the business," Dahl said. "All of their store managers are pharmacists."
As for closing a business that is has been one of the pillars of Viroqua's downtown business community, Dahl said it has been difficult.
"Every employee reacts differently, but there have been a few tears," Dahl said.
Steve Felix of Felix's Mens and Womens Wear, which is the second oldest business in Viroqua, was concerned about the development.
"The big guys will come," Felix said. "People have to make choice about where they want to shop and if they don't support downtown businesses they won't be here. Just because a business is 100 years old doesn't necessarily mean they will be 101.”
Karen Dahl, wife of Chuck Dahl, who was the third generation Dahl to own the pharmacy before it was sold the Katherine in 2001, said her husband was saddened by the news.
"He is sad because it is an end of era," Karen Dahl said. "The timing is good for employees and clients that will have a smooth transition to the new store, but it is sad for the community."
Karen Dahl said she is concerned about other small businesses in the community.
"We pay an enormous amount of property tax, as does any small business, but I think granting TIF district tax deferment to a major corporation heavily weighs things against local business owners," Dahl said.
Last year the city of Viroqua granted about $600,000 to the developer of the Walgreens site. A group of citizens protested the use of TIF district funding for the Walgreens project, but city officials said that without the incentives the project would not have gone forward.
All stories copyright 2006 Vernon Broadcaster and other attributed sources.