Marvin’s Building Materials and Home Center celebrated its official grand opening in Andalusia with a “board cutting” Friday morning. The store held its “soft opening” Mon., May 18.

“They say good things come to those who wait, and this is definitely a good thing for Marvin’s,” said Darrein Gilliam, senior vice president of operations for Marvin’s. “It seems to be a good thing for Andalusia, thus far. I have to tell you, when Mayor Johnson took office, we had a quick conversation and in just a few days we had a deal put together that we had been working on for years.

“I can’t thank the mayor enough for making things happen. The city council was instrumental as well, but Mayor Johnson spearheaded the efforts, helped to get us here quickly and help us revitalize this center. It’s a good thing for both of us.”

The board cutting was Marvin’s version of a “ribbon cutting,” where Johnson and other dignitaries took turns sawing through a portion of a board. Store manager Mike Lovering did the honors of cutting the board completely in half at the end.

After the board was halved, special guests were offered the chance to sign the board and leave a personal message.

“I think this is really exciting for our community; it’s going to be a great fit,” Johnson said. “We’re happy that we could play a part in you being here and look forward to a long and successful relationship.”

Boyden Moore, president and CEO of Marvin’s, was among those in attendance Friday.