Bruce Kopp/Eyewitness News
Central Indiana, Oct. 7 - The clearance sale banners are up at some locations while brand new stores are on the brink of opening.
The emergence of Dick's Sporting Goods in Central Indiana is very much a work in progress.
Former Galyans Vice President David Pritchett says the hardest part "is probably just the sheer disappointment that what was just a fantastic organization came to an end."
Pritchett worked for Galyans since he left college 17 years ago. He still has the photo of himself standing with co-owner Pat Galyan outside his Indiana University fraternity.
Pritchett would rise through the company ranks, opening stores along the way and standing with the Galyans management team at NASDAQ headquarters in New York.
He would rise to senior vice-president of retailing, but now is looking for a new job. "Reality has set in and people are beginning to move on emotionally and working towards what's next in their careers and their lives."
Of the nearly 300 people that worked at Galyans' corporate headquarters in Plainfield, only about 30 to 40 have taken jobs with Dick's Sporting Goods in Pittsburgh.
A Dick's spokesman says the recently built Galyans corporate office building will shut down completely sometime next year.
Even though the sale is final, it will take some time before the transition is complete.
When Dick's Sporting Goods purchased Galyans it picked up nearly 50 more locations. And eventually the Galyans name will completely disappear.
In the weeks ahead the changes will become clear. A Galyans store in Carmel will eventually close. It will be replaced by the new Dick's store at the Clay Terrace Development nearby.
Dick's says it has yet to decide on what it will do with stores in Castleton and Greenwood. Dick's is faced with converting its Castleton Square Mall store into a Dick's and possibly shutting down it's new Dick's store at 82nd and Allisonville Road.
While in Greenwood, it faces shutting down a recently built Galyan's store across the street from its Dick's location at Greenwood Park Mall.
Dick's plans to open three more locations in early November, including the location on the Indianapolis northwest side at 86th Street and I-465.
And as for former Galyan's workers, the job search goes on. "I think that we're all qualified to go out and find the next opportunity. There's not a question in my mind that everyone is going to land on their feet and move on."
Dick's Sporting Goods says it will continue to operate the Galyans distribution center in Plainfield. About 300 people work at that location.
