Lori Strom has been a Goodwill shopper since 1997.

"Oh, I found a bunch of stuff! " Strom said. "Some really great costuming and a beautiful, beautiful lamp that I just gotta find a shade for it and I think I have several down in my basement that will work."

She came from Dakota, Minnesota, to stand in line outside this morning with about 100 people for the grand opening of the Goodwill Store in Onalaska.

“Goodwill has done such great work in the community," Strom said. "The clients that work here that get job skills, you begin to get to know them, too over the years and they know you and they’re always happy to see the regulars come in.”

Onalaska Store Team Leader Paula Egge says, "Our mission here is to create a training environment for people that come from diverse backgrounds and may be working through barriers to employment.”

Egge says it’s through generous donations that the non-profit business is able to flourish.

“What people donate, we turn into product on the sales floor that actually provides paychecks for team members in the community," Egge said.

The Onalaska store will be the new energy efficient prototype for future Goodwills in North Central Wisconsin.

"We’ve got special HVAC equipment," said President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin Bob Pederson. "We’ve got water-less units in the men’s bathrooms. We have insulated the building in a way, and circulating air in a way, that will really reduce the cost to run the building.”

Pederson says all of the lighting is also energy efficient.

“We built a lotta things into this store that we think are gonna have a huge impact on Goodwill and the community going forward," Pederson said.

Onalaska Mayor Mike Giese says, "I suspect that people that are in this store right now may find their way into a few other stores in the area. So it’s symbiotic. If we have more activity, interest vitality, benefits all commercial sections.”

And Strom says she will no doubt be back to Onalaska for what she says are great deals that not only add to her collection, but help the community.

“You never know what sort of treasure you’re going to find. It’s a scavenger hunt," she said.

The Onalaska Goodwill Store is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Pederson says they’re working on plans to expand the Goodwill of North Central Wisconsin. He says they’re going to build one or two stores in the area over the next ten years.