When Bill McFarland decided to open another business in Auburn, he also wanted to see if he could help tourism in the town as well.

He rented a spot on Main Street in Auburn, opened B&K Coins and Jewelry and set aside some space for the Auburn Tourism Commission to set up a welcome center.

“It works out well for both of us,” McFarland said of the set up.

Jo Orange, chair of the Auburn Tourism Commission, said having a welcome center is something they hadn’t really considered, but “when the opportunity arose, we thought this is wonderful.”

The welcome center features various brochures, flyers and maps telling of places of interest and events in and around Auburn.

“I hope people can use the center to get more information,” Orange said.

There is also a community bulletin board where people can exchange information, as well as free coffee and snacks.

A grand opening was held Saturday at the welcome center, located at 102 W. Main Street where the Yard Sale Shop had been.

Mayor Dewey Roche said he was glad the city now had a place where people could get information.

“A lot of people have been stopping by and picking up information,” McFarland said. Many stay and visit for a while and McFarland is glad to have the company and is happy to answer any questions he can.

In addition to being on hand to man the welcome center, McFarland is also busy running his new business, B&K Coins and Jewelry, named for himself and his wife, Karen.

The couple opened a consignment shop, Almost New Gifts & Consignment, a little over a year ago in Auburn, that closed earlier this year. McFarland said the consignment just didn’t go over well, but he still wanted to have a business in town.

“We wanted to open a store that could serve the community,” McFarland said. That’s why they decided to focus on coins and jewelry.

“We buy gold and silver,” he explained. “And I pay 10 to 15 percent more for gold and silver than others do.”

McFarland is a gold broker and coin collector and has been involved in the business for around 20 years.

McFarland will test items to see if they are real for free. He can determine if an item is real gold and he can also test diamonds. He’s had some customers come in just to see if a piece was real or not. If an item is real, some people decide to just keep it, but if not, McFarland will be glad to make an offer.

“I guarantee to beat anybody else’s price,” he said.

B&K Coins and Jewelry will be open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. McFarland said he invites everyone to stop by, see what the shop has to offer, pick up some information and sit down for coffee.

“We’re happy to be here,” he said.