1 / 2

Costco warehouse manager Don Dove, center, cuts the ribbon with the help of coworkers and local dignitaries during the grand opening of the new Costco in Spanish Fork on Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. JAMES ROH/Daily Herald

James Roh

2 / 2

17. Costco opens store in Spanish Fork

Click here to read the story. 

James Roh

❮ ❯

People from across southern Utah County gathered in the dark, cold and snow to be part of the ribbon cutting for Spanish Fork’s newest business and to have the chance to be some of the first customers inside the newest Costco store.

“It is terrific to be a part of the Spanish Fork community,” Spanish Fork warehouse manager Don Dove said. “We have already been well received and we are pleased at the response.”

Costco Wholesale Corporation is the fifth-largest retailer in the United States and the largest membership warehouse club chain. Costco focuses on selling high-volume products for a low price. Most goods are bulk-packaged and marketed to large families and businesses. Costco doesn’t carry multiple brands or varieties, which allows for a high volume of sales from a single vendor and further price reductions and low marketing costs.

“It has been exciting to be a part of Costco in Spanish Fork,” marketing manager Eric Coleman said. “Local cities from Springville to Santaquin have been ecstatic to have us here. We will be able to bring prices and quality to the area that they have never seen before. Our customers will really benefit.”

“I love Costco,” said Melissa Hendricksen, a Woodland Hills resident who attended the ribbon cutting. “We always go to the Orem store so we are excited to have a store closer to home. The people are always friendly, the store is always clean and they have great deals.”

To bring Costco to town, Spanish Fork offered the wholesale giant incentives totaling millions of dollars. Incentives include paying the store’s utilities for four years, giving the store sales tax rebates for the first 18 months, waiving all city-related building, impact and connection fees and reimbursing the company $225,000 for the grading and fill work done by the city and paid by Costco. Costco’s end of the agreement including building, opening and operating a store in Spanish Fork. Costco opened its doors after little less than a year of work to prepare the area.

“We are excited to have Costco as a Spanish Fork business,” said Cary Hanks, Spanish Fork Salem Area Chamber president. “Costco will be a great asset to our community. Having them here will increase our tax revenue base, which will help keep property taxes low. They will also be a boost to the business community by bringing in people to the area.”

Spanish Fork city believes that the incentives given to Costco will pay off. The city conducted a study that determined that incentive costs will be recovered in sales tax within three years from when Costco opens its doors.

“I think this is one of the grandest things to happen in Spanish Fork,” Mayor G. Wayne Andersen said. “Costco will help grow our commercial base. It shows that Spanish Fork is alive and vital.”

Costco in Spanish Fork is at 273 E. 1000 North. Business hours are 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.