C Spire and community officials Thursday celebrated the opening of the wireless provider’s relocated store on Brookway Boulevard.

     The new, 3,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art prototype store features C Spire’s latest open floor plan design, wireless devices, feature and smart phones and accessories. The new store represents a $400,000 investment by C Spire, which has invested more than $2.2 million since 2008 to expand its network in the Brookhaven and Lincoln County area.

     Cliff Brumfield, Brookhaven-Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce executive vice president, said C Spire’s new location is an important event for the community.

     “It’s one of the first new locations of the new concept store in the state,” Brumfield said. “It comes on the heels of a well-received announcement of their offering 4G service in Lincoln County. They’ve continually made the Brookhaven location one of the first areas to bring new services.”

     During the ribbon cutting, Vice President for Customer Advocacy Jeff Richardson emphasized that C Spire has been a longtime member of the Brookhaven businesses community, with the company’s first store opening in Brookhaven in the early 1990s. The new store is the third location in that time.

     Richardson said the new store is first the company has built from the ground up.

     “We were able to make everything the way we wanted,” said Richardson. “We like it and hope our customers will as well.”

     Richardson said the expanded parking capabilities of the new store over the previous location should be a winning point for customers.

     John Hopkins, regional manager of Retail Operations for C Spire Wireless, expressed similar sentiments in a release hailing the new store’s opening.

     “C Spire is customer inspired and we want customers to feel that from the moment they walk through our doors,” he said. “Our new retail design makes it easy for customers to learn more and fully immerse themselves in the personalized wireless experience.”

     Hopkins also referenced the wireless provider’s investment in the community since 2008.

     “We’re proud of our new store, but we’re even more excited about continuing to contribute to the economic development of this region,” Hopkins said.

     Mayor Les Bumgarner was on hand Thursday to help welcome C Spire’s newest addition to the Brookhaven landscape.

     “Expansion of C Spire’s retail operations is good news for Brookhaven and Lincoln County,” the mayor said.  “C Spire is a great corporate neighbor and we really appreciate the investments they continue to make in our community and in our people.”