Mercer Market in Aledo is receiving nearly a quarter of a million dollars in state grant money.
The local grocery store is one of eight grocery stores around the state to be awarded funding through the Illinois Grocery Initiative. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Economic Opportunity announced Thursday that Mercer Market will receive $249,711 to replace the store’s original refrigeration.
With most of the store’s refrigeration system nearly 50 years old, Mercer Market owner operator Jeff Sedam says the installation of the new system will provide a big step forward for the grocer.
Sedam says the store is targeting early January 2026 to begin using the new refrigeration system.