Dunham’s Sports General Manager Jason Fedorke stands inside the newly opened store following the ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Sporting goods enthusiasts must wait no longer — one of the largest sporting goods chains in the nation held a grand opening Friday morning for its new location at the Ohio Valley Mall.

A couple dozen employees and customers attended the Dunham’s Sports ribbon-cutting ceremony, where the first 100 customers were given a free Dunham’s T-shirt along with other perks. Customers also received complimentary coffee, doughnuts and candy. The opening at the mall marks the 23rd Dunham’s in Ohio.

The new shop occupies much of the space that once held anchor store Kmart. The Kmart store was a fixture at the mall for more than three decades prior to its closing in 2017.

Chilly weather Friday may have stopped some customers from attending the ceremony, however store officials were thrilled to welcome those in attendance. General Manager Jason Fedorke greeted those gathered around the entrance of the store.

“It’s really exciting to be here, just want to thank a couple people,” he said. “(I) want to thank the Ohio Valley Mall, Cafaro’s (the mall’s parent company). They’ve been great supporters of us, partners with us,” Fedorke said.

Fedorke also thanked the store’s employees for all of their “hard work and sacrifice” in bringing the store together. Some employees traveled from other Dunham’s stores to aid in the opening of the mall location, he said. Fedorke then cut the ceremonial ribbon and welcomed everyone into the store.

“We’re very excited. We’ve been here for weeks. Everyone’s been working hard,” he said. “I think this is something that is great for the community.”

The nearly 50,000-square-foot store actually opened its doors earlier this week for a soft opening. Fedorke said it has been wonderful the past few days with many customers venturing into the new facility. The “full-service sporting goods store” sells footwear, apparel, hunting and fishing gear, firearms and much more, he said.

“You name it, we have it,” he added.

Fedorke said that the new store fills a “much-needed niche” in the valley, as there are few sporting goods stores in the area.

Candi Noble-Greathouse, mall marketing director, said the mall is thrilled to add Dunham’s to its family of stores.

“This large store is perfect. It’s what our shoppers are looking for, and it’s going to be a great addition,” she said.

St. Clairsville residents Jim and Debbie Marr attended the ceremony and said they were excited about the opening of the new store. Jim said he was pleasantly surprised by the size of the sporting goods shop.

“It’s really big, it’s really nice,” he said. “They need it here in the valley. It’s something different.”

Jim said he thinks the new addition will help bring people to the area, and Debbie agreed.

“I hope they (Dunham’s Sports) stay here awhile,” he added.

According to a news release from Joe Bell, spokesman for the Cafaro Co., the arrival of the sporting goods retailer is just the latest chapter in a year of renovations and changes at the mall. Workers have installed new flooring, lighting systems, wall fixtures an landscaping, among other improvements, over the past six months.

Chick-fil-A restaurant plans to open and serve customers before the end of the year, Bell said. The Hampton Inn and Suites is also under construction and scheduled to welcome guests by mid-2020. Bell said the four-story hotel will offer 113 guest rooms and suites.

Dunham’s grand opening celebration will continue throughout this weekend. Today, the first 100 adult customers will receive a Dunham’s Sports baseball cap, and on Sunday, the first 100 adults in line will receive a Dunham’s Sports gift card, with one being worth $100.

The Ohio Valley Mall is located on Interstate 70, exit 218-Mall Road. It features more than 100 retailers, restaurants and hotels.