Gander Mountain announced plans to open a store at The Shoals of northwest Alabama. Construction has begun on the state's second Gander Mountain retail store, which is expected to open in fall 2012.

The 45,000-square-foot store will located at 340 Seville Street in Florence, Ala. The exterior design and interior layout will reflect Gander Mountain's new store prototype, featuring innovative interior design, displays and fixtures.

“We're excited to bring Gander Mountain's thousands of products and great customer service to Florence and to folks in The Shoals and the surrounding region,” said David Pratt, CEO of Gander Mountain. “Our new neighbors' passion for the outdoors and active 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 Alabama, together with the best selection of gear and accessories for hunting, fishing, camping, boating and archery. The store will offer an extensive selection of men's and women's active outdoor and casual apparel featuring exciting brands like The North Face, Columbia, GSX, Mountain Hardwear, Under Armour, Carhartt, KAVU, Marmot and Kuhl, and a wide variety of men's and women's active footwear featuring brands like Merrell, Rocky, Keen, Irish Setter, Teva, New Balance, Brooks, Patagonia, Timberland, LaCrosse, Itasca, Saucony and Salomon.

“This is great news for the citizens of Florence and our entire region,” said Florence mayor Bobby Irons. “Gander Mountain has a highly-regarded reputation and will be a perfect fit for our community's diverse retail mix. I'm pleased to welcome this quality company to Florence and to The Shoals, and the community looks look forward to continuing to serve their business needs in the future.”

Additional details on special events, activities and promotions that will be a part of the new Florence store grand opening celebration will be available this summer at www.gandermountain.com. Florence is the third announced location in a seven-store expansion. New Gander Mountain stores in Valdosta, Ga., and Morrisville, N.C., will open in 2012 with other new store locations to be announced soon.

Gander Mountain has 114 stores in 23 states.