by Alan Quick

MOLE Avon Trading of Crediton has this week unveiled a new site where its new multi-million pound Mole Avon Town and Country Store will be built.

Wendy Stevens, store manager of the Crediton store and some of her team were there to celebrate along with Mole Avon’s chairman, managing director, some of the board of directors and staff from the support centre and Town and Countrywear in Crediton.

The land, at Wellparks on Exeter Road, Crediton is where the company will relocate from its current smaller site on Mill Street in the near future.

The company has been on its Mill Street site in Crediton since 1973 and has been keen to move to a suitable local site for many years.

This will be Mole Avon’s biggest investment in the business to-date and the company is pleased to be making major investment in the town.

"We have invested in our Okehampton and Axminster sites over the past three decades and it is great that we have secured the site at Wellparks which will provide a solid platform for future growth”, says Mike Haines, managing director of Mole Avon.

He added: “This development will safeguard existing jobs and create a number of new employment opportunities for the people of Crediton and the surrounding rural area.

“We will finally be able to increase the breadth and depth of our product offering as well as looking into adding additional services and support for our core customer categories.

“This will enable us to serve our traditional farmer base alongside the wider community making us the local rural retailer of choice.”

John Lee, chairman of the board of directors for Mole Avon Trading Limited, said: “I am delighted that Mole Avon has taken another significant step forward in the process of redeveloping our Crediton store by marking the start of earth works on the site we recently acquired at Wellparks.

“Our new managing director, Mike Haines and his management team have been charged with building and delivering a state-of-the-art store which will improve the retail experience for all our customers while maintaining our range of goods for the agricultural and rural community.

“This development, which will be the largest investment in the company’s history, is a strong indication of our commitment to Crediton and the surrounding area.”

Work on the new access road and associated works are planned to be underway during the autumn.