Tradition meets innovation at this thriving Vermont general store
Pawlet, Vermont is not a big place. Situated in the Mettowee Valley along Route 30, the town has around 1,500 residents and a tiny downtown. Right in the middle is Mach’s Market, a family-owned store that's been the hub of the community since 1945.
Gib Mach, the current owner, remembers running around the store as a kid. He joined the Marine Corps at 17 and then worked various jobs when he returned home.
In 1978, Gib and his wife Doreen bought the family store. Aside from a brief period in the early 2000s, they’ve been running it ever since. Recently, they made the shift from a traditional general store, selling everything from hardware to toothbrushes, to a market with local products and a deli. Mach’s Market aims to keep as much money as possible in the community. “Everything from sweet corn to maple syrup... we source it from the farmer next door,” Gib says. “I think it’s important to have a market or a general store where the community does well from it.”
Like most Vermont general stores, Mach’s Market is in an old building which has been added to and renovated over time. When Gib and Doreen bought the building, it wasn’t insulated. “We had a hard time keeping warm,” Gib says.
The Machs began a slow and methodical process of improving the building. The first step was insulating and air sealing the walls, floors, basement, and attic. That work had a big payback: The building now uses 30% less energy, because it’s able to retain heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer.
When Gib met Charlie Hopkins, an Efficiency Vermont engineering consultant, they hit it off immediately. Charlie works with Vermont businesses to help identify ways to save money and energy. He helps strategize, review plans, coordinate contractors, and be a trusted energy advisor at every step in the process. “Gib helped me think outside the box and be patient,” Charlie says. “There’s a lot of ways to crack an egg, as my dad used to say.”
Together, the pair made plans for incremental upgrades to other aspects of the building, like lighting, refrigeration, and HVAC. “I was really impressed with Gib’s approach,” Charlie says. “He sequenced it in a really thoughtful way.” Gib received rebates from Efficiency Vermont to help make the upgrades more affordable. All told, Gib says Mach’s Market cut its monthly energy costs in half, which is money that can be invested back into the business.
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Weatherization Mach’s Market became one of the first businesses in Vermont to install a walk-in cooler with natural refrigerant, which has a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional refrigerant. The team also retrofitted a historic cheese cooler to retain its old charm while significantly reducing the cost to run it.
“When you walk into a general store or market, it feels like you’re stepping back in time,” says Gib. “To be able to do that in a modern, efficient way is something else.”
“When you walk into a general store or market, it feels like you’re stepping back in time. To be able to do that in a modern, efficient way is something else. ”
On any given day, Mach’s Market is bustling with folks grabbing coffee and a pastry on their way to work, picking up a gallon of milk and smoked chicken wings for dinner, or just swinging through to chat with neighbors. The store has the warm, unassuming feeling of Grandma’s kitchen. The efficiency upgrades have helped reduce operating costs, allowing the business to thrive in an otherwise challenging environment for small businesses in Vermont.
Charlie hopes other general stores will be inspired by Mach’s example and start to think holistically about how to make their buildings more efficient. “Making these investments can take time,” Charlie says. “There's not a one-size-fits all.”
Gib and Doreen are proud of where Mach’s Market is today. Behind the local jams, above the cheese cooler, and next to the fresh baked goods, you’ll see old photographs of the market and its patrons over the years. Among his many contributions to the store, Gib is proud of his work reducing energy use. “You just do it because it’s the right thing,” he says. “I want to make my mark.”
