Improvements At Twin Totems

In the near future there will be many improvements taking place at the Tribe’s Twin Totems Convenience Store.  Perhaps some of you have noticed that the changes have already begun.  In addition to remodeling the building there will also be an expansion and diversification of the product mix the store offers.    For the last six months the Tribal Council and Economic Development staff have been planning the changes and strategizing the financing of what will occur at Twin Totems.  A brief summary of that planning is as follows:   

• We have replaced Chevron with Shell in order to get a better wholesale price on fuel and to get better service from our wholesaler.  This should result, by this late spring or early summer, with the lowest gasoline prices in our area.  We have also replaced the old fuel dispensers with the newest dispensers available.  The new dispensers will eventually allow us to cross market points from the player club cards at the Lucky Dog Casino to the gas islands at Twin Totems.      

• The north end of the store building will soon be remodeled to accommodate the addition of a Subway sandwich store.  We have been able to negotiate a satisfactory franchise deal with this well recognized fast food chain. The Subway business will have sit-down and take out services, and offer a full selection of sandwiches, beverages and other food items.  Although located in the same building, the Subway store will have its own management and staff.  It is anticipated that the Subway store will be completed by early summer.

• A traffic engineer was hired to review the existing traffic flow and safety concerns regarding motor vehicles entering and exiting our commercial site along US Highway 101 from the casino parking lot on the south, to the end of the Twin Totems building to the north.  As time and money allow, we will be examining the safest and most efficient ways to get our patrons on and off our business site.

• Within the month a new scanning system will be installed at the check out counter at Twin Totems.  This computerized system will eventually be faster for the clerks and allow management to maintain an extremely accurate record of inventory.  Staff and management will begin training on this new system as soon as it is installed.

• A new highway sign will be installed by Shell Oil to replace the existing Chevron sign.  Additionally, the current Twin Totems product sign, located between the store and Highway 101, will be relocated further north of it’s current location. The new signage and placement is designed to attract maximum attention to our products and pricing specials.

The upgrades and renovations at Twin Totems will be carried-out in coordination with the re-establishment of the tribally chartered business corporation - Skokomish Indian Tribal Enterprises (SITE), which was created originally more than 30 years ago. The Skokomish Tribal Council, presently serving as board members, reestablished SITE this year, and has begun revising the organizational structure and streamlining the Tribe’s business operations and development capabilities as a stand-alone entity.

Position	Staff Member	Telephone/Extension	E-Mail
Economic Development Director	William Smith	360-426-4232 x.204	bsmith@skokomish.org
Economic Development Specialist	Ed Binder	360-877-2012	edbinder@skokomish.org