MANITOWOC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Christmas Factory Store owner Pete Burback tells FOX 11 he considers the historic National Tinsel Manufacturing building to be a gift to the city of Manitowoc.
“It’s really part of the culture and heritage of this community.”
A local real estate developer purchased the building with intentions of refurbishing it.
What he didn’t know was the building also held thousands of holiday decorations wrapped in brown boxes.
“This building is 90,000 square feet, there’s probably 50,000 square feet of 12 foot high pallets,” Burback said.
Burback was recruited to convert the factory into a pop-up Christmas Factory store.
“We’re getting calls from all over the country. People are coming in from Indiana, they’re taking the car ferry from Michigan.”
Some came to linger at the lights.
“I can’t wait to get in there. I can’t wait to see all the lights,” Green Bay resident Peggy Seim said.
Others came to track down the perfect tree.
“I like to collect a lot of Christmas tree ornaments. I get something from my sons so I love it and it’ll be enough room for all that,” Two Rivers resident Clarice Snyder said.
Burback says that some of these trees could be one of a kind. He says that some never hit the stores.
“You might be the only one in the world with one of these trees.”
Burback says this is everything on his wish list and more.
“People are home a lot and they want to make their house warmer and more fun. Even if you don’t want to buy something, you want to get in the spirit.”
He hopes to continue bringing that spirit to the community, even if that spirit might be in short supply.
The Christmas Factory Store is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The store will remain open until everything is gone.
It’s located at 1133 S. 16th St. in Manitowoc.
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