Sanger Wal-Mart Supercenter Zoning in on Local Economy
Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zone is next in line of nine announced earlier this year
SANGER, Calif., June 10, 2007 – Continuing its commitment to invest in local communities as part of the Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zone program, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. will open the first Supercenter in the Fresno area Wednesday, June 13 in Sanger. The Sanger Wal-Mart Supercenter was chosen by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. earlier this year as the fifth of nine sites nationwide and plans to continue the momentum by creating 400 planned new jobs, a revitalization to the city’s shopping corridor and an initial $26,000 donated to local organizations upon its opening this week. The Sanger Wal-Mart Supercenter is located at 2761 Jensen Ave., and will hold its grand opening celebration at 7:30 a.m. with community leaders sharing what the new store brings to the Sanger community, including shopping conveniences and expansive merchandise selection catering to the needs of the surrounding community.
A Focus on the Sanger Community
As a Wal-Mart Jobs and Opportunity Zone location, the Sanger Wal-Mart Supercenter will focus efforts on providing support to local businesses by offering supplier support, the opportunity for small businesses to advertise inside
Wal-Mart stores and in local newspapers, as well as presenting additional funding to the Chamber of Commerce. To help revitalize the area’s shopping corridor, Wal-Mart completely redeveloped the former department store, knocking down most of the existing building, rebuilding the exterior of the property, repaving the lot and beautifying the exterior and entrances.
Sanger Mayor Michael Montelongo says that local leaders are excited about the positive impact Wal-Mart brings to the Sanger community. “My fellow Council Members and I have worked hard for several years to bring this amazing new Wal-Mart Supercenter to Sanger,” he said. “One of the things we really like about Wal-Mart is the way they have involved themselves 100 percent in our community: Managers have bought homes here and met with residents for one-on-one discussions; Recruiters made a special trip to Sanger High School to give local kids a shot at some of the new jobs; and, Wal-Mart has donated $27,000 to local charitable organizations, even before selling a single product. This is the spirit of Sanger business owners and we know that Wal-Mart will fit right in and be a valued corporate citizen of Sanger.”
Job Impact in California
According to Store Manager Michelle Wilhoite, the new Supercenter has received a great response from area residents who have applied for the hundreds of new jobs. The store received nearly 4,000 applications for the 400 newly created positions.
“Nearly 80 percent of the associates we’ve hired are from Sanger and I am proud to see my local community excited about working here,” said Wilhoite. “There are many career opportunities available at Wal-Mart, and it is great to be able to offer local people good jobs,” added Wilhoite. Of Wilhoite’s associate team she has assembled at the new store, seven have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years.
Wal-Mart is opening two other Supercenters in California this month, including the largest Supercenter in the state opening June 13 in West Sacramento. A Supercenter in Lancaster will open June 20. Combined, the three stores will create more than 1,500 jobs. The average wage for full-time hourly associates at Wal-Mart in California is $10.77 per hour.* As of April 2007, Wal-Mart employed 71,023 associates in the state of California. Including the newest Wal-Mart Supercenter in Sanger, the company currently owns and operates the following facilities in the state:
• Supercenters: 24
• Discount Stores: 144
• Sam’s Clubs: 37
• Distribution Centers: 9
A Focus on Community
$26,000 in Initial Grants to Support Local Organizations
Area dignitaries and local representatives will be on hand to share in the grand opening celebration, according to Wilhoite. One of the highlights will be the announcement and distribution of $26,000 in grants by the store to local schools, civic and charitable organizations. “As the newest member of the Sanger community, we are proud to provide financial support to organizations that are making a positive difference,” said Wilhoite. For example, the store is donating a total of $7,000 in grants to the City of Sanger Police Department and a $5,000 grant to the City of Sanger Fire Department. These grants will be used to help purchase much-needed equipment and support educational programming. (Editors note: For a complete list of grant recipients, please see page 3 of this release.)
Like all Wal-Mart stores, the Sanger Supercenter will provide grant dollars throughout the year to help local groups. Organizations interested in learning more about receiving funding from Wal-Mart or fundraising at Wal-Mart can contact the store for details or go to www.walmartfoundation.org.
Store Merchandise and Services Offer Convenience
Keeping in line with Wal-Mart’s strategy to provide products relevant to the needs of its customers, shoppers at the Sanger Wal-Mart Supercenter will find a product mix specifically tailored to meet the needs of their community, including a wide selection of Hispanic foods, bakery goods and fresh produce and an expanded selection of Latino music and movies in the electronics and home entertainment departments.
According to Wilhoite, customers will find “one-stop shopping” convenience throughout the 165,989-square-foot Supercenter which offers a broad product mix reflecting the needs of the growing Sanger community. Shoppers will be able to find the perfect Father’s Day gift in the expansive electronics department featuring the latest in MP3 players, DVD players, high-definition and plasma televisions, get their photos developed in the one-hour photo lab, peruse perennials in the lawn and garden center and get their vision checked in the vision center. Shoppers will find the latest trends in apparel with Wal-Mart’s popular George© clothing line, and enjoy a wide selection of health and beauty aids, household needs, toys, jewelry, shoes, a large infants section complete with a wide selection of baby cribs, youth furniture, car seats as well as a complete liquor department.
Customers will also appreciate the Supercenter’s wide aisles, low shelving displays, navigational signage, tile flooring, energy-efficient freezer cases that keep foods colder and use less energy, LED lighting, daylight harvesting sky-lights. The Sanger Supercenter also features a pleasing new earth-toned, interior design introduced by Wal-Mart earlier this year.
Grand Opening Celebration Details
Sanger Mayor Michael Montelongo along with local dignitaries will attend the 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony. Store associates will perform the national anthem during the event and Chamber of Commerce representatives will cut the ribbon to the new Supercenter. Other activities for the grand opening include product samples and giveaways.
About Wal-Mart Stores
Every week, more than 127 million customers visit Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets, and Sam’s Club locations across America or log on to its online store at www.walmart.com. The company and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to local communities in the United States. To learn more, visit www.walmartfacts.com, www.walmartstores.com, or www.walmartfoundation.org.
EDITOR’S NOTES
• A special invitation-only open house for VIPs, Wal-Mart associates and their families is scheduled for Monday, June 11, from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Preview tours will be provided
• Michelle Wilhoite, store manager, can provide details about the grand opening, offer quotes for interviews and arrange for photo opportunities or preview tours. She can be contacted at 559-875-4268.
FACT SHEET
Sanger Wal-Mart Supercenter
Store Fast Facts
• Location: 2761 Jensen Ave., Sanger, Calif.
• 165,989-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter
• 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony, Wednesday, June 13; doors open at 8 a.m.
• Store manager: Michelle Wilhoite
Store Features
• General merchandise departments include family apparel with an expanded infant section, a household organization department, health and beauty aids, household needs, expanded electronics department, toys, jewelry and shoes and a complete liquor department.
• Other special features: a vision center, a pharmacy, a lawn and garden center, a one-hour photo lab and a Wal-Mart Connection Center for cellular phone sales. Additional leased space and services include a McDonald’s restaurant.
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Nineteen full-service, four express and four self-service check-out lanes
Employment
• 400 planned new jobs, 4,000 applications
• The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in California is $10.77 per hour.*
• Wal-Mart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, performance-based bonuses, discounted stock purchase program and life insurance.
* Average wage taken December 2006. See www.walmartfacts.com for details.
Charitable Giving
$26,000 in charitable contributions to several area organizations:
- City of Sanger Fire Department
- City of Sanger Police Department
- City of Sanger Parks and Recreation
- Friends of the Ronald McDonald House of Central Valley
- Grace Community Church
- Hinds Hospice
- Hope Now for Youth Inc.
- Proteus Inc.
- Rotary International Sanger Rotary Club
- Sanger Unified School District
- Washington Academic Middle School
For More Information
• Michelle Wilhoite, store manager, can provide details about the grand opening, offer quotes for interviews and arrange for photo opportunities or preview tours. She can be contacted at 559-875-4268.
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com
# # #
Click the links below to add this entry to social networking sites.
|
|
|