After being off for more than a year, the lights are burning again inside the Superior's former Shopko building.

The Shopko signs which had adorned the building have been removed and exterior painting has begun.

Tuesday, the doors were open and workers were inside the building apparently preparing it for a new tenant.

Rumors about a chain of farm stores looking at opening a store here have been circulating in Superior since spring but until Tuesday the rumors could not be publicly confirmed.

Tuesday a formal announcement confirming the rumors was made.

Bomgaars Supply, a farm and ranch chain based in Sioux City, Iowa, confirmed with this newspaper the purchase of the former Shopko building in Superior. The 43,000 square foot store, Superior's largest retail facility, is located along Third Street near the east edge of the community.

A spokesman said the company plans to staff the store with 15 to 20 people. Local area residents will be hired for a variety of positions. An advertisement in the next issue of The Express will give details about a job fair the company plans eto hold in the Superior Auditorium on Sept. 1 and 2. The store is currently scheduled to open for business in early November.

Bomgaars is a fourth-generation company, privately owned by Roger and Jane Bomgaars. The corporate office and distribution center are located in Sioux City, Iowa, where the company originated in 1952.

Over the past 68 years, Bomgaars has reinvested in the company to construct new buildings, enlarge or renovate existing ones and add locations as opportunities present themselves. With 94 stores currently in Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado, Wyoming and Idaho, the company has approximately 2,500 employees.

Bomgaars stores are known for high-quality merchandise and first-rate service, along with competitive pricing on name brands chosen for reliability and value. Major departments at all stores include lawn and garden plus nursery, work and family clothing, farm, pet, automotive, electrical, plumbing, hardware, housewares and toys. Some of the brand names that the company offers in clothing include Lee, Wrangler, Carhartt, Under Armour, Columbia, Dickies, Ariat and Georgia. Pet foods include Iams, Purina, Blue Buffalo, Diamond and Science Diet. Tool suppliers include DeWalt, Milwaukee, Irwin, Porter-Cable and Stanley. Automotive accessories, fluids and lubricants are well represented, along with a broad selection of Hutchison-Western gates, panels and wire. In lawn and garden, items from Stihl, Troy-Bilt, Honda, Bonide, Scotts and Ortho are featured.

With more than 80,000 items for farm, home, auto and family, the Bomgaars mission is to provide what you need, when you need it.

After the closure a number of years ago of what originally was the Wheeler's store. local development representatives attempted to attract another such store and contacted a number of prospects including Bomgaars.

After the closing of Shopko, a consulting company was hired and a report prepared which showed the potential for various kinds of possible tenants.

The Superior Shopko buidling was one of the largest in the company's Hometown Store concept.