Wal-Mart, Partners Aim to Spark El Mirage Economy
New Supercenter promotes local businesses, suppliers and job-seekers
EL MIRAGE, Ariz., July 16, 2007 – Evolving from its roots as an agricultural community, El Mirage leaders are making a conscious effort to attract, retain and grow the local economic base. Local officials credit the new Wal-Mart Supercenter, opening on Wednesday, July 18, with providing a spark for economic growth in the area. In addition to providing shopping convenience and everyday low prices to customers, the store’s management team has focused on supporting the community by hiring and training local residents, encouraging local and regional businesses to become suppliers and partnering with chambers of commerce and other business development organizations.
“The relationship between Wal-Mart and our community has been extremely strong from the start,” said George Flores, community development director for the City of El Mirage. "They have actively recruited and hired residents and have had a real focus on procuring local goods and services as well. Their efforts have helped not only the City of El Mirage, but the broader community around us as well. We hope to work with and grow our small businesses so they can be more successful."
Earlier this year, Wal-Mart hand-picked El Mirage as the site of one of nine new stores nationwide to participate in the company’s Jobs and Opportunity Zone (JOZ) program, a special effort designed to deepen the company’s commitment to invest in local communities. With the opening of the new Supercenter at 12900 West Thunderbird Road on July 18, El Mirage will become the sixth community to participate in the national JOZ program.
In communities Wal-Mart has designated Jobs and Opportunity Zones, the impact of new Wal-Mart stores goes beyond new jobs and shopping convenience. The El Mirage store has already held a supplier seminar for local companies, and it is in the midst of selecting area businesses for its Small Business Spotlight, which will highlight five area businesses each quarter through in-store media, such as Wal-Mart TV and Radio, as well as ads in local newspapers.
Store Manager John Carroll said, “We are very excited about extending our partnership with the El Mirage community beyond the four walls of the store.”
New Store to Employ 425
The store plans to employ approximately 425 associates. The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time associates in Arizona is $10.35 per hour.* Approximately 76 percent of all Wal-Mart store managers began their careers with Wal-Mart as hourly associates, including Carroll, who began his career in 1993 as an hourly associate at a store in Danville, Ill. Eighteen of the El Mirage store’s associates have been working for the company for more than ten years.
Impact on Local Charitable Organizations
Upon its grand opening, every Wal-Mart store provides grants to charitable organizations and other non-profit groups that have a positive impact on the community. In that tradition, the El Mirage store will give $29,000 in grants to local civic and charitable organizations. Organizations interested in receiving funding can contact the store for details. (For a full list of grant recipients see pg. 3 of release)
New Store Offers One-Stop Shopping
The new 196,000-square-foot Supercenter will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It features apparel and accessories, fine jewelry and health and beauty departments. Shoppers can select from a full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce and an expanded organic products section, and an expanded electronics and home entertainment section offering the latest in laptops, digital media players and high-definition flat screen televisions.
The El Mirage Supercenter will be the first in the Valley with a Wal-Mart Money Center to assist customers who are outside of mainstream banking with convenient access to low-cost money services, including check cashing, money orders, bill payment and money transfers. With Wal-Mart’s every day low pricing, customers can save 25 to 50 percent or more over other leading money service providers.
The store has other popular Supercenter features such as a drive-through lawn and garden center, a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes, a one-hour photo lab, full liquor sales, and a Wal-Mart Connect Center. Customers can pay for their purchases at one of 17 full-service or eight express checkout lanes. Leased areas include a SmartStyle Family Hair Salon, a Da-Vi nail salon, a McDonald’s restaurant and a branch of Sun Bank. The store will also feature a Crown Mailing Center which provides printing, packaging and shipping services as well as mailbox rentals.
Wal-Mart in Arizona
Click here for more information about Wal-Mart in Arizona.
As of June 2007, Wal-Mart owned and operated the following facilities in the state:
• Supercenters: 51
• Discount Stores: 12
• Neighborhood Markets: 12
• Sam’s Clubs: 13
• Distribution Centers: 3
In the fiscal year ended 2007, Wal-Mart collected on behalf of the state of Arizona more than $326.3 million in sales taxes and paid more than $42.8million in state and local taxes.
About Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
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
• The store will host an invitation-only preview event on Monday, July 16, at 7 p.m. Reporters and
photographers are welcome.
• Store Manager John Carroll can provide details about the grand opening, offer quotes for interviews
and arrange for photo opportunities. He can be reached at 623-583-1321.
FACT SHEET
El Mirage Wal-Mart Supercenter
Store fast facts
• Location: 12900 W. Thunderbird Road, El Mirage, Ariz.
• 196,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter
• Grand opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, July 18; doors open at 8 a.m.
• Store Manager: John Carroll
Charitable giving
$29,000 in charitable contributions to 17 area organizations
• Catholic Charities Community Services
• Cerebral Palsy
• City of El Mirage Community Center
• City of El Mirage Fire Department
• City of El Mirage Police Department
• City of El Mirage Library
• Dysart Elementary School
• Dysart High School
• Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department
• St. Teresita Food Bank
• Sun City Prides (T.A.G) Together Against Graffiti
• Dysart School District After School Program
• City of El Mirage Public Library
• Dysart School District Baseball Program
• El Mirage Elementary School
• Dysart Community Center
• North Valley Football League
Store features
• Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, organic products, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, drive-through lawn and garden center, toys, health and beauty aids, full line of electronics, beer and wine sales, pharmacy with two drive-through lanes, one-hour photo lab, Wal-Mart Connect Center
• Wal-Mart Money Center, offering low-cost money services, including check cashing, money orders, bill payment and money transfers
• Leased areas include McDonald’s restaurant, SmartStyle Family Hair Salon, Da-Vi Nail Salon, branch of Sun Bank, Crown Mailing Center
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• Seventeen full-service and eight express checkout lanes
Employment
• Total planned employment of 425.
• The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in Arizona is $10.35 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.
• Store Manager John Carroll began his Wal-Mart career 14 years ago as an hourly associate at a store in Danville, Ill.
*Average wage taken December 2006. See www.walmartfacts.com for details.
For more information
• Store manager: John Carroll, 623-583-1321
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com
# # #
Click the links below to add this entry to social networking sites.
|
|
|