THEY say when one door closes, another opens — and this theory rings true with the Sea Lake and district community.
People power has enabled the establishment of a hardware co-operative, following the closure of their existing retail hardware store last year.
John Clohesy was the driving force behind the concept.
Having witnessed the Berriwillock Grain Co-operative in action, he thought the same principles could be applied to the hardware store.
“The closure of Mitre 10 left a big hole in our town and we wanted to stop people from shopping out of town,” he said.
A public meeting attracted more than 100 people and put the wheels in motion.
“It all just snowballed from that meeting,” Mr Clohesy said.
It wasn’t long before community members from across the district had raised more than $200,000, turning the concept into a reality.
For more on this and other Sea Lake stories, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (April 8).
