Chalk up another company escape from California’s business-unfriendly environment.

Mickie’s Place, formerly of Southern California, has signed a lease on a 30,000-square-foot building located in Celina, Clay County, Tenn.

(Thanks to Rob Van Driest at UM for passing this along. As he says: Businesses like Tennessee. We need Montana to focus more on business. It’s severely underrepresented at the state level.)

"Our business is growing and we found that we needed a larger facility than we have here in Southern California," said Mickie Repecka, owner of Mickie’s Place.

"Moving to Tennessee, a state with a reputation for welcoming new businesses, will enable us to expand and grow in a business-friendly environment."

Only two years old, Repecka tells SNEWS the retailer has experienced double-digit growth each year, despite intense competition.

The new store will expand offerings to cater to the local population’s interest. Mickie’s Place plans to add to the store’s normal stock of backpacking and camping gear to include hunting, fishing and boating equipment.

A casting pool is planned, and the store is negotiating with the local Corps of Engineers for a boat ramp to launch canoes and kayaks directly into the river.

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