METTER - Steven Rigdon and Greg Ponder, owners of the new Movie Store in Metter, celebrated with family and friends Friday morning during a ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremony for their new movie rental business.
      Rigdon and Ponder, both bankers, bought the building years ago, but Rigdon said they had no idea they'd end up running a movie rental business.
      "Life threw us a curve ball, and we hit it," he said.
      The store's first day of business was last month after the Movie Gallery in the same North Lewis Street location closed its doors in early June.
      "We were glad to have The Movie Gallery here," Metter Mayor Billy Trapnell said, "but it's even better to have The Movie Store here, locally owned."
      Ponder said he was happy they could keep the business going, and Rigdon said that, so far, the store has done well.
      As owners of the building, Rigdon and Ponder lost their tenant when Movie Gallery closed back in June. Initially, they didn't know what they would do with the vacant building.
      After several townspeople expressed their disappointment in the loss to Rigdon and Ponder, the men realized that a small town like Metter needs a movie rental store.
      People were disheartened to think they'd have to go all the way to Statesboro to rent a movie, Rigdon said. So, we put our heads together and decided to keep this type of business available to Metter, he said.
      The new business allowed for the seven employees of Movie Gallery to keep their jobs and transfer as employees of The Movie Store.
      Manager Kim Berry had worked with Movie Gallery for more than five years before leaving to spend more time with her family, she said.
      When she received a call requesting she come back as manager for Rigdon and Ponder, she accepted, Berry said, knowing they are both very family oriented.
      "They are awesome guys," she said, "and great to work for."
      Heather Sanchez, another employee who was with Movie Gallery for three years, said she was very happy they decided to keep the movie business going and that she was able to keep her job there.