I have been informed by my area manager that there is a major
competitor opening in an out-of town location within 3 miles? "What do
I do not loose customers"

go back to school and take buisness classes

mchugh,

Among other things, it would help to find out exactly who this
competitor is; what they are offering different from you; their
pricing compared to you; their service compared to you; their
advantages and disadvantages in their total offering compared to you;
which segments of the population they are targeting compared to you;
which needs they are satisfying in the customers they are targeting.

If they are very similar to you or better than you in many of the
respects above, then you have a lot of work to do.  If they are
dissimilar to you, then you can breathe easier.

The work will entail figuring out why a customer would buy at the
competition instead of you.  Novelty is ok, but if the competition is
able to retain him then, figure out why, and change for the better.

Alternatively, hire a marketing agency and promote yourself more and
better.  This is a wise investment.

Just a few thoughts,
Claudietta