City officials and Smithland Garden and Pet employees April 10 celebrate the grand opening of the store at 81 Springfield Road. (HOPE E. TREMBLAY/THE WESTFIELD NEWS)
WESTFIELD – Smithland Pet & Garden Center hosted a grand opening April 10 in the retail space that has been home to various garden centers for several decades.
Smithland CEO John Atkins accepted citations from Westfield Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr and state Rep. Kelly Pease during the ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday. City Councilors Brent B. Bean II, Michael Burns, Cindy Harris, Kristen Mello and William Onyski helped commemorate the event.
“We’re excited to be in Westfield,” said Atkins. “Everyone seems to be very happy that we’re here and we look forward to a fruitful partnership.”
Store Manager Scott Robbins said Smithland offers a large assortment of annuals and perennials, vegetable plants, trees and seeds, as well as garden décor and fountains in its nursery.
The company also owns Dave’s Soda and Pet Food and Atkins said Smithland combines the best of pet and garden products.
Robbins said customers were happy to discover that the Agway tradition continues at Smithland, which sells a large variety of Agway products.
It also has Webber products, bird seed and much more, including a do-it-yourself dog wash.
“For $13, people can bring in their dogs and use the dog washing station, including shampoo and dryers, and then we do the clean -p,” said Robbins.
Customers have been coming in every day, exploring the bright, clean store and all it has to offer since it first opened April 2.
“We had a soft opening before the grand opening, and it’s been exciting,” said Robbins. “People have been watching this space and waiting for us to open.”
Smithland also offers convenient drive-through service for large purchases, such as mulch, stones and more. Customers can pay inside and drive around the back of the store when an associate will load the items into the vehicle. Smithland has a driveway that connects to the Planet Fitness next door where there is a traffic light, making it convenient for customers to exit onto Route 20 west.
The location employs 12-15 core team members augmented by additional seasonal team members during peak selling periods.
Smithland Pet & Garden Center, 81 Springfield Road, is open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sundays from 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
