BELOIT ? A Dollar General official says it will fix a heating problem at its Beloit store.
The Mahoning County store at 18668 Fifth St. in Beloit, just east of Sebring, had been operating without heat over the past week in the frigid cold due to a mechanical issue, and shoppers were concerned.
The shoppers expressed their outrage on Facebook on the popular but private group Sebring Talk. It has more than 7,200 members. There were at least 83 comments posted on the issue.
"It was soooo cold in there last night. Felt the same inside as it did outside. I felt so bad for the 2 guys working. I’m mad for them," a customer said on Sebring Talk.
The employees were wearing winter coats and hats on Monday morning in the store, and apologizing to vendors. Twelve-packs of soda in a floor display were already chilled in the frosty room.
"It is ridiculous for customers to have to shop in that condition let alone the workers have to b there in that cold environment all day long," another Facebook user said. "I thought it was ridiculous this summer when there was no air in there, and now look what we’re dealing with."
The Canton Repository contacted Dollar General and a private real estate firm, Battle Monument Group, based in Richmond, Virginia, that owns and manages the property. Both responded.
According to media relations for Dollar General which issued a statement by email around 5:45 p.m. Monday, the company has closed the store to address HVAC system issues.
"We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our Mahoning County customers, and we are working diligently to remedy the issue," the company said in the email.
In the United States, there are no federal regulations on workplace temperatures.
However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends the thermostat is set between 68 and 78 degrees. The humidity control should be between 20% and 60%.
Battle Monument Group, one of the largest owners of Dollar General stores in the country, has owned the Beloit property since 2022. The single-story, standalone building was built in 2000.
Willow Bertenshaw, marketing manager for Battle Monument Group, which leases the Beloit space to Dollar General, said the firm was not aware of the heating issue at the store, and Dollar General had not contacted them.
Per the lease, she said all repairs issues must be submitted to them by the Dollar General lease compliance team.
"We're not local and rely on the store to make us aware of any maintenance items that need addressing within 30 days. As a protection to the health, safety and comfort of the employees, the lease allows the tenant to proceed with any repairs that we're unable to perform in 30 days," she said.
Continuing, Bertenshaw concluded: "Straight forward process, if the store in fact has heating issues, we will receive the ticket and process it as we normally do within a timely manner."
Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or [email protected]. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP.