Pop’s Grocery Shoppe, owned and operated by Daniel C. and Shelley Martin, has been in business since 2007. The Hermosa, South Dakota store spans near 6,000 square feet and employs four people. The Pop’s name is a tribute to Maynard Martin, Dan’s late father. As a tribute to his memory, his picture hangs behind the counter.
The size of the facility makes it energy intensive, therefore, Pop’s Grocery Shoppe installed True and Turbo Air coolers and freezers to replace older units and installed LED lighting saving the business an average of $200 a month on the electric bill.
USDA Rural Development provided a $3,658 Rural Energy for America grant (REAP) to Daniel C. Martin to assist with this energy efficiency project. The REAP funding assisted with energy savings that can be reinvested in other areas of the business to further its success.
Daniel and Shelley have a long history in the grocery store business. They previously owned five East River grocery stores located in Aberdeen, Mobridge, Roscoe, Clark, and Castlewood. The Clark and Castlewood stores closed, and their son bought the other three stores. The couple moved to Hermosa to retire, however, as fate would have it, along with strong community support, they rejoined the workforce, making a comeback and a difference in the community they now call home.