Commercial Redevelopment grant helps furniture and appliance store expansion in Hibbing

Mar 23, 2023 08:50AM ● By Content Editor

Photo: MN Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation

From the MN Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation - March 23, 2023

Blue Moon Appliance & Home Center in Hibbing expanded its retail operation into a 44,000-square-foot building located along Highway 169, a space almost three times larger than the company's prior downtown building. The new location was vacant for several years and required reconstruction to accommodate the Blue Moon expansion. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided a $24,135 Commercial Redevelopment grant to the city of Hibbing to help pay for interior and exterior demolition. Total project investment was $185,000.

Blue Moon sells new furniture and appliances and is the largest scratch and dent appliance and liquidation retailer in northern Minnesota. It also has an online operation that sells new and used appliance parts. Blue Moon has two other locations in Minnesota: Grand Rapids and Thief River Falls.

Blue Moon owner Jeff Christlieb is originally from Osage and first moved to the Iron Range to attend Hibbing Community College. He became an entrepreneur, owned a construction company, held rental properties, was a home inspector, and operated a grocery store, a truck stop and a horse ranch. Christlieb eventually began buying scratch and dent appliances in bulk and reselling them, which led to his first Blue Moon storefront.

“I’ve had a longtime interest in the Iron Range, since my earlier days here as a college student,” said Christlieb. “I am very pleased for my family-owned business to continue its operation in Hibbing. In our new and larger location, we are continuing to offer the people of Hibbing and surrounding areas access to an in-person shopping experience for appliances and furniture options, both new and scratch and dent.”