Years of planning followed by a complicated construction project and a final push from employees combined to make a substantial expansion at the Sportsman & Ski Haus in Kalispell a reality.

The venerable sporting goods store is holding its “grand expansion party” tonight from 5 to 8 p.m.

The $5 million project added 30,000 square feet to the store, bringing its total retail floor and office space to 84,000 square feet. It also led to 36 new jobs and a total work force of 133 employees.

Dave Harvey, the company’s president, says the project put the store on the national map even when compared to big outfits such as the Dick’s and Scheels sporting goods chains.

“This is one of the biggest independent sporting goods stores in the country, in size and sales volume,” said Harvey. “We’re pretty unique, too. There’s nothing else really like us.”

The idea for an expansion came about almost right after Sportsman established its location at Hutton Ranch Plaza in 2007, Harvey said. 

An expansion eventually became a necessity. “It seemed like pretty much everything we did up here did well,” he said, adding that the store’s purchasers kept adding merchandise because the sales justified it.

Construction got underway in September 2013 with an opening planned for mid-May, but considerable delays were encountered, mainly because of harsh winter weather. Today’s official opening came about after a one-week push by employees, often working overtime, to stock the addition with merchandise and reorganize the rest of the store. 

“And it was without any bullwhips. It’s basically employee ownership and pride,” Harvey said, referring to how employees are stockholders in the company. “There is real employee ownership ... They are very connected to this company’s success.”

The addition allowed the Sportsman to significantly expand its merchandise, particularly in the athletics department, which was somewhat regarded as the store’s “Achilles heel,” according to Harvey, who touts the store’s new golf department in particular.

The department features two TrackMan golf simulators that are state-of-the-art and far superior to most simulators in depicting how a golf swing translates to an on-screen ball flight.

TrackMan simulators are used by some of the top golfers in the world. “There’s not very many of them around the country,” Harvey said. 

Prior to the expansion, many customers expressed disappointment that there wasn’t a golf department.

“They just looked perplexed,” Harvey said. “Golf tourism is big deal around here.”

Another new feature at the store is a 20-yard indoor archery range. The store’s footwear and firearms departments also were significantly expanded.

Harvey said he is particularly pleased with the seamless feel and look of the expansion. 

“It doesn’t look like an addition. It looks like the store was built that way,” he said, noting how customers are saying that the wide-open nature of the store allows them to easily find the different departments, and how better displays are now possible.

The Sportsman & Ski Haus, established in 1968, is now poised for a bright future.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.