Woos Sell Tri-Me Warehouse

RIDGELY – The Tri-Me Warehouse in Ridgely is changing ownership, this time out of the Woo family. The Woos have operated the Tri-Me store since 1983.

Chang Woo purchased the store from father and son Edward Frech Sr. and Jr., who, with partners, had established the grocery store in Ridgely.  Chang Woo sold the business to his brother and sister-in-law, Young and Kang Woo, and niece, Gennie Woo, in 2002.

Gennie said she had just graduated from high school and her options were to go to college or go into business with her parents, “I obviously picked the latter. At that time, we already owned the video store and gift shop next door... so it just made sense to buy Tri-Me as well.”

The Woos have spent their days running Tri-Me ever since, “we were never closed a single day, not for weather, holidays, or even COVID. My parents went to the store every day and never took a vacation,” Gennie said. The constant work of running a small business took its toll after 23 years, or as Gennie puts it, “we started to run out of oomph the community deserved. The store has so much more potential, and a lot of ideas we had were never put into action. This is when we started looking into passing the torch to someone who could do what we couldn't.”

“I believe the new owners are going to do great things with the store,” Gennie said, “They have a vision, the work ethic, and all the things they need to pick up where we left off. We send them all the blessings and are still helping where we can to make sure they start off strong.”

Gennie wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post on September 22 that she “will not miss the business aspect and everything that comes with it,” but she will miss “the relationships we’ve built over that time. The laughs we’ve shared. The children that were once babies and now come in to the store as adults.” Above all, she wants Ridgely residents to know she appreciates the support she has received from the little town she calls home, and that she isn’t going anywhere; in fact, you can find her “literally next door.”

Update: the story has been updated to show that Chang Woo purchase the store from Edward Frech Sr. and Jr. and partners according to Frech Jr.'s daughter, Jammie Barry.