As one company leaves, another takes its place

As Kimball loses one business, another one is ready to open its doors...almost.

Kimball Distribution NOW site, formerly Challenger Industries has been closed down.

According to Aaron Cook, branch manager in Kimball, the company purchased three Challenger Industries locales, including one in Sterling, Colo., one in Cheyenne, Wyo., and Kimball. The sale was made public knowledge on August 1, 2015.

Each of these locations supplied pipe valves and fittings to oil, gas and industrial industries.

On Tuesday, June 28, Cook got the call that the company was consolidating the locations, effectively closing the Kimball site due to geography and a lack of strong growth in Nebraska customer base.

“They are consolidating us with Cheyenne,” he said. “They will still service the state of Nebraska from there.”

Currently four employees remain at the Kimball location and Cook said that he cannot answer for their future, but they may be given an offer to relocate – it is simply unknown until mid-August.

The silver lining is the reopening of the long closed Travel Shoppe, under new ownership and name.

Triangle Partners, the partnership between John Morrison, Bob Abramson and Rich Flores, will soon reopen the the gas station with card-only pumps, according to Morrison.

However, he added that once they get everything ready they will reopen the convenience store as well. Morrison expects that to take a few months.