DEMOPOLIS-Three new businesses The Gold Mine, Radio Shack&Network IT, and Cedar Ridge Homes have opened their doors for business in the Demopolis community two of which are old favorites in new locations. All of the new businesses have officially opened and are looking for support from the community.

Radio Shack&Network IT use to be two separate businesses until Collins Communications, who owns Radio Shack bought Network IT last year. The owner of Collins Communications Woody Collins said he was still unsure what they would use the old Radio Shack building for.

“In the first 30 years of Collins Communications, we have always been a commercial and industrial place of business, so when we bought Radio Shack we were forced to have it on the back roads instead of on the highway were it needed to be,” Collins said.

He said once they purchased Network IT, the idea was to build a new business on the highway and merge the two businesses into one. The new business is under the watchful eye of Carol Caldwell.

“We have a really good team of people at this new store,” Caldwell said, “We have people that can answer any and every question the consumer has about electronics and cell phones.”

She said they offer many different items from the Radio Shack brand, Southern LINC. She also said the hours of the new store will be Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Radio Shack&Network IT is joined into a new building next to CVS with The Gold Mine. The Gold Mine has been a staple in the Demopolis community for a long time and owner Kim McNeil thinks this new store will offer more to the residents of Demopolis.

McNeil said the new store is about the same size, but it is in a better, more convenient location. He also said someone is already looking at renting the old Gold Mine building.

“We will be carrying some new lines of baby’s jewelry and gifts as well as some men’s jewelry,” McNeil said.

He said they will be having a grand opening soon and there will be many wonderful door prizes that will be given away. He also said the hours of The Gold Mine are Monday-Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Just a little ways down from these new businesses is another new business to the area, Cedar Ridge Homes. The owner of Cedar Ridge Homes, Jacques Prescott said Demopolis seemed like a great place to build the next business because many of his sales at his brother’s Thomasville location come from people in Marengo County.

“Our business is a family owned business with myself and my two brothers Jim and Jonas, who own locations in Thomasville and Jackson,” Prescott said.

He said they started their business in 1994 as one of the smallest businesses selling new homes in the State of Alabama and now in 2004, they are one of the largest sellers of homes in the state. He also said they are having a grand opening on Friday and Saturday.

“We have homes from a single-wide for that college student to a triple wide for the whole family,” Prescott said.