While the harsh winter has been an annoyance to many residents, it has been a blessing to the Workingman’s Store on Main Street.

Store owner Al Rosenberg, who has worked at the store since 1968, said the cold winter has led to a spike in sales at his outdoor clothing store.

“We haven’t had a winter like this in a number of years,” he said. “We’ve had one of our best seasons. And in this day and age, that’s not easy to say.”

The increased business makes for a nice welcoming for the store’s first winter at its new location on the corner of East Jefferson and North Main streets.

The store opened at its corner spot after 80 years at 257 S. Main St.

Rosenberg said the new store is much larger than his former location and benefits from having everything on one floor.

“There’s a lot more elbow room,” he joked, adding his returning customers were shocked to see the change in layout. “We never had room like this before.”

He said the store also benefits from its location in the center of town.

“It’s better for the customer and better for me.”

Rosenberg said his supply of high quality products is what separates his shop from department store competitors.

“I don’t sell ‘big box’ quality items,” he said. “What you get here are top quality items and great service.”

Some of the items in his shop, such as rubber buckle work boots and lined overalls, are not even offered at competitors.

“Most places don’t even carry some of these items anymore,” he said.

But this winter, traditional outdoor clothing is also flying off the shelves.

“We’re just about sold out of face masks and lined gloves,” Rosenberg said. “The better thermal underwear has been popular, too.”

Rosenberg said his shop has seen its share of business from hunters, people who work outside and those simply looking to shovel their driveways.

But one industry’s workers are beginning to stand out.

“We’ve had a lot of customers that are pipeline workers in the (natural) gas industry,” he said.

Those workers, who come from across the country, are impressed with the Main Street shop.

“They’ve been impressed,” Rosenberg said. “They say how they don’t see stores like this anymore.”

For a while, Rosenberg didn’t know if his store would be there either.

He said the recession hit his store hard, even causing him to lay off his lone full-time employee in 2009.

But his store made it through. He even was able to bring back both full and part-time help.

Rosenberg said he sees the store having a bright future.

“I plan on being here for a long time,” he said. “I have to admit, in 2009 and 2010 I wouldn’t have said that.”