ON Thursday, February 6 the new Masters store at Heatherbrae will open its doors, just 15 months after an application for its construction was originally approved.
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The store's soft opening takes place this week "without the fanfare" to test processes before an official opening is held next week.
Thursday, February 13 is the official opening date when Port Stephens Mayor Bruce MacKenzie and Port Stephens MP Craig Baumann will open the store with speeches and a board cutting - which involves sawing a wooden Masters banner in two.
Masters management, staff and other dignitaries will be in attendance.
The Examiner had the chance to catch up with the store's new manager Martina Cross late last month and got a sneak peek inside.
Ms Cross said it took about seven weeks to lay out and stock the store.
"It's been an exciting time and certainly a lot of hard work," Ms Cross said.
One hundred and five people have been employed to work at the store. Ms Cross said a large number of the employees came from Port Stephens.
The Heatherbrae store is the seventh in NSW and is 13,500 square metres in size.
As well as a variety of kitchens solutions, whitegoods and appliances, Masters' Heatherbrae store will house paint, tools and hardware and outdoor furniture.
A drive-through trade area will also cater to the needs of tradies.
