Co-owners Abby Kuehne and Amanda Cleary describe The Vault Market, which will open on Friday, as  “a collaborative space” that will feature a variety of products from local artisans and vintage antiques.

“Everything is sourced as locally and regionally possible,” Cleary said. “We want to act as a small business incubator for people who don’t have storefronts. Our goal is that they can go on to open their own brick and mortar stores in downtown Ironton and we can build the local economy, one purchase at a time.”

The store takes its name from the large vault built into its walls, with the location, at 211 Center Street, having started as the Iron City Savings Bank in 1916.

“We were pretty excited about the space,” Kuehne said, of the storefront, which also served as home for The Leader, a high-end women’s clothing company, and then Pins and Needles in the 1980s. “It’s in the downtown historic district. There are actually two vaults here — the original and a smaller one in the back.”

Among the products they will be selling are pottery items from Eric Pardue, an artist from Milton, West Virginia.

“Each is individually made and thrown by him,” Kuehne said of the cups and other pieces. “And the prints are done digitally and are military-based.”

Also featured are Tuft Woolens luxury bath products by Martha Tremblay, of Scioto County.

“These are all made by hand,” Kuehne said. “She’s originally from Dayton and was a cosmetics engineer for The Limited and she left to create her own line.”

Other items range from tea towels to jars of caramel honey sauce and a selection of greeting cards.

Cleary, who has been friends with Kuehne since the fifth grade, said the idea for the business came about after she left her criminal justice job at the courthouse in June and was pursuing wellness coaching.

“We talked about doing something to grow our personal business,” she said of the collaboration with Kuehne, who runs an online Etsy store selling furniture and vintage clothing. “And this beautiful thing was born out of that. We both love Ironton so much and wanted it to be so that, when our children our grown, they have options.”

Cleary said other offerings will be a vegan dessert line, unavailable elsewhere in the Tri-State area, as well as community classes, such as painting.

Kuehne said the line-up and selection at the store will always be evolving.

“We want it changing,” she said. “That’s part of the partnership with other people. We’re so excited to show Ironton to the Tri-State.”

They said they are still looking for consignment art and an application is available online. The business has a Facebook page and can be found on Instagram at @ShopTheVaultMarket.

The Vault Market will be open 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. on Sundays.