OxfordPress.com

WEST CHESTER TWP. — IKEA West Chester opened at 9 a.m. Wednesday with the ceremonial sawing of a log, a Swedish gesture meant to bring good luck to the new home and its future occupants.

A line of roughly 500 shoppers, many of whom spent the night in the parking lot or arrived before sunrise, wrapped around the side of the 344,000 square-foot blue and yellow building.

The morning celebration began with performances by the Red Cat Jazz Band, a Swedish children's choir and Team Cincinnati from the NBC network's "Clash of the Choirs" television show. Mascots from the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals also danced and entertained the crowd.

At 8:30 a.m., the West Chester Police Honor Guard conducted a flag-raising ceremony. Township trustees Lee Wong and Catherine Stoker raised the American flag, while honorary Ohio Swedish Consul Michael Miller raised the Swedish flag and a representative for Congressman John Boehner raised the Ohio flag.

IKEA West Chester store manager Lonnie Rodgers welcomed the crowd to the store.

"Words cannot describe my feelings when I arrived this morning and saw so many visitors," he said.

IKEA North America President Pernille Lopez shared similar sentiments when she approached the microphone without a jacket on. "I thought, if people can camp in 30-degree weather, I can leave my coat and speak in my yellow IKEA shirt," she said.

Barb Condo, executive director of One way Farm in Fairfield, accepted a $10,000 donation of furnishings from Rodgers.

"This is a wonderful gift, and desperately needed," she said. "I think you have a store in your neighborhood where you will receive a level of service you never thought possible."

Township trustee George Lang commended IKEA for its willingness to work with the township, both through placing a West Chester Twp. sign on its large highway sign and for its involvement in road improvements at the intersection of Muhlhauser and Allen roads.

"There have been times in the history of West Chester when the eyes of the county were on us, when the eyes of the state were on us, and when the eyes of the country were on us," he said."But today, thanks to IKEA's international flavor, the eyes of the world are on us, and we look good."