Gander Mountain said construction activity has begun on North Carolina’s fifth Gander Mountain retail store, which is expected to open in late 2012. The 43,000-square-foot facility will be located in Winston-Salem at 910 Hanes Mall Boulevard, near the intersection of I-40 and Stratford Road.

“We’re excited to bring Gander Mountain’s thousands of products and great customer service to folks in Winston-Salem and the Triad,” said David Pratt, CEO of Gander Mountain. “Our newest North Carolina neighbors’ passion for the outdoors and active performance living will be a perfect match with our ‘We Live Outdoors’ culture.”

The new Gander Mountain store will feature one of the largest selections of new and used firearms in North Carolina, together with the best selection of gear and accessories for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and archery. The Winston-Salem store will offer an extensive selection of men’s and women’s active performance outdoor and casual apparel featuring exciting brands like The North Face, Columbia, Under Armour, GSX, Mountain Hardwear, Carhartt, KAVU, Marmot and Kühl, and a wide variety of men’s and women’s active footwear featuring brands like Asics, Merrell, Rocky, Keen, Irish Setter, Teva, New Balance, Brooks, Patagonia, Timberland, LaCrosse, Itasca, Saucony and Salomon.

“I am pleased to welcome Gander Mountain to Winston-Salem,” said mayor Allen Joines. “It will add to the wonderful mosaic of retail opportunities for our citizens and visitors alike. Winston-Salem is honored to have this investment by this highly-regarded company.”

Additional details on special events, activities and promotions that will be a part of the new Winston-Salem store grand opening celebration will be available at www.GanderMountain.com. Winston-Salem is the sixth announced location in a sizeable 2012 expansion. New Gander Mountain stores have previously been announced for Valdosta, Ga., Morrisville, N.C., Lafayette, Ind., Opelika, Ala., and Florence, Ala. Gander Mountain currently has North Carolina stores in Mooresville, Fayetteville and Greensboro.

Gander Mountain Company headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., is the nation’s largest retail network of outdoor specialty stores for firearms, hunting, fishing, camping, marine and outdoor lifestyle products and services. There are currently 115 Gander Mountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 24 states.