BONNERS FERRY - Safeway announced Thursday it has purchased Boundary Trading Co.

Safeway, which will begin a multi-million dollar renovation of BTC on April 7, will close its downtown Bonners Ferry store and transfer its 30 employees to the new store, Cherie Myers, director of public/government affairs for Safeway, said Thursday.

After the Safeway is remodeled, it will need 100 employees; Boundary Trading Co. employs 69, Myers said.

"We would be delighted to take those employees," she added.

Boundary Trading Co. employees will have to apply for those jobs.

"Safeway looks forward to many of the employees from Boundary Trading Co. becoming members of the Safeway team," Myers added.

Safeway will close its existing store at 216 First St. when its new store, 6519 Main St., has its grand opening on July 23.

The renovation will create about 20-25 jobs over a 12-week construction period.

Safeway has secured an independent grocer to operate in its existing facility. The grocer will likely open in August after it converts the space for its use.

Myers would not name the independent grocer.

"We are not at liberty to discuss that," she said. "That new prospect does not want it discussed until the transaction is done."

BTC officials did not return a telephone call seeking comment on the sale.

In 1994, Paul Matejovsky and Gary Morgan bought the Bargain Giant in Bonners Ferry and changed the name to Boundary Trading Co., according to the company's Web site. Five years later, they bought the Excel in Cheney, Wash., which they renamed Cheney Trading Co.

In 2006, they purchased three Tidyman's stores, bringing their total to five. These stores were in Post Falls, Latah Creek and Spokane Valley.

Safeway is a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America based on sales. The company operates stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $44.1 billion in 2008.