Monticello Mercantile transfers from father to son

Ownership of the Monticello Mercantile, known locally as the Merc, has passed from father to son. Robert Francom, who purchased the Merc from Lisle Adams in 1992, is transferring ownership to his youngest son, Kevin.
The Monticello Merc is the oldest-running business in San Juan County. For more than 100 years, it has been the place where you could find just about anything. It has been owned by the Francom family for 22 years.
Kevin recently returned to his Monticello roots with his wife, Liesl, and their family of three, including a brand-new baby boy. Kevin is no stranger to the Merc, as he worked for his father for about seven years during his youth.
“I guess I never lost interest in the Merc and in coming back home to Monticello,” said Kevin. “We have already changed a few things in the store with the main goal in mind to give the community every reason to shop local.
“We are adding new items constantly and become more modern to serve our customers. With the added inventory, we are having sales all the time which are posted on our Facebook page, as well as in the San Juan Record.”
“It is difficult to try to accommodate everyone’s needs in one store, but I think the Merc does a pretty good job,” said Eric Niven, an employee at the Merc. “And what we don’t have, we can usually special order.”
“I’m pleased to be back in Monticello and I have some exciting plans for the future,” said Kevin. “Take a fresh look around and check back often to see all the upcoming improvements.”