Latest Wal-Mart Supercenter in Brownsville to Open Doors and Aid Numerous Local Groups with Grants

BROWNSVILLE, Texas, July 12, 2006 – Wal-Mart opens its third Supercenter in Brownsville Wednesday, July 19 bringing 200 new jobs to the market and more than $20,000 in grants to local organizations. Designed as a one-stop family shopping center, Cameron County’s newest Supercenter opens at 8 a.m. to a community eagerly awaiting the retailer’s everyday low prices, one-stop shopping convenience and discount groceries. A grand opening ceremony will begin at 7:30 a.m. The store is located at 2721 Boca Chica Blvd.

One-Stop Shopping
The Wal-Mart Supercenter is located on the same site as the current Wal-Mart, which will be demolished to provide additional space for parking and a gasoline station. Originally opened in 1987, the new store has gained more than 93,314 additional square feet.

The new Supercenter’s exterior exhibits soft earth tones and new landscaping. The interior features wider aisles, a new customer-oriented layout, wood floors in the apparel departments and coordinated merchandise displays. The store also has expanded home entertainment and electronics departments that showcase well-known consumer electronics such as MP3 players, iPods, DVD players for home or auto and high-definition televisions. The store was built with an environmentally-friendly design, with skylights, energy-efficient lighting and concrete flooring.

According to Store Manager Bob Rousey, the new 203,819-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter now features 36 general merchandise departments including apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and a full line of electronics. In addition, the store offers a bakery, a delicatessen, a frozen food section and meat, dairy and fresh produce sections. Among numerous other items, customers will be able to purchase freshly made tortillas in the store’s deli. The store will be open to customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will include 17 full-service and 10 express check-out lanes.

Other store features include a Tire & Lube Express, a McDonald’s, a family fun center, a one-hour photo lab, a vision center, a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes, a Smart Style hair salon and a Da-Vi nail salon. In addition, the store will have an International Bank of Commerce branch and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for wireless phone sales.

$20,100 in Donations Support Local Groups
Upon opening, the store will announce $20,100 in donations to a number of organizations, including $5,000 grants to two area children’s advocacy groups, the Cameron County Children’s Advocacy Centers (CCCAC) and CASA of Cameron and Willacy Counties.

“The Children’s Advocacy Centers are proud to be a community partner with Wal-Mart. They provide us with excellent customer service, and we depend on them to have the general merchandise we need to support our organization,” said Brenda A. Garza, CCCAC executive director. “The shopping convenience they provide allows us to work on more important things, such as restoring hope in the lives of our children.”

The store will also have a budget to give donations away locally throughout the year. Brownsville organizations can contact the store to inquire about grants, matching grants and opportunities to raise dollars outside store locations throughout the year.

Celebration Begins at 7:30 a.m., July 19
The 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony will begin with an invocation by Maria Esparza Munoz, pastor of Templo Ivangicalo Shalom. Tanya Jolene Saldivar, the 15-year-old daughter of Wal-Mart associate Juan Saldivar, will sing the national anthem, and drill instructors from the Brownsville Academic Schools will present the colors. Rousey and long-time store associates will cut the ribbon to the new store. Mayor Eddie Trevino Jr., Police Chief Carlos Garcia, Angela R. Burton, president and CEO of the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders are also scheduled to attend the celebration. A mariachi band, grupo folklorico dancers and cheerleaders from the University of Texas at Brownsville will be on hand to entertain customers. Other activities planned during the grand opening event include numerous product samples, character appearances and giveaways.

The celebration continues Wednesday evening with a performance by Tejano band Solido from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. On Saturday, July 22, Tejano band Ilusion will perform from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

180 New Jobs
The store will employ approximately 440 associates, which includes 180 jobs created by the relocation. The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is approximately $10.11 per hour.*

“We were thrilled with the number of applicants we had for our jobs,” said Rousey. “It makes me proud to work for this company where there truly are unlimited opportunities.” Thirty-five associates have worked at Wal-Mart for more than 10 years, Rousey said. Approximately 20 associates have worked at the Brownsville store since it first opened in 1987.

Wal-Mart in Texas
EDITOR’S NOTE: See www.walmartfacts.com for more information about Wal-Mart in Texas.
As of May 2006, Wal-Mart employed 146,255 associates and owned and operated the following facilities in the state of Texas:

• Supercenters: 260
• Discount Stores: 59
• Neighborhood Markets: 30
• SAM’S CLUB locations: 70
• Distribution Centers: 15

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM’S CLUB locations in the United States. The company has operations in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company’s securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and NYSE Arca, formerly the Pacific Stock Exchange, under the symbol WMT. More information about Wal-Mart can be found by visiting www.walmartfacts.com. Online merchandise sales are available at www.walmart.com.

Store fast facts
• Location: 2721 Boca Chica Blvd., Brownsville, Texas
• Originally opened in 1987
• 203,819-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter, gaining an additional 93,314 square feet
• Store opening 8 a.m., Wednesday, July 19; 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony
• Store manager: Bob Rousey

Store features
• Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products and fresh produce, a Tire & Lube Express, a family fun center, a vision center, a McDonald’s, a Smart Style hair salon, a Da-Vi nail salon, a one-hour photo lab, a branch of the International Bank of Commerce, a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes and a Wal-Mart Connect Center
• Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
• 17 full-service and 10 express check-out lanes

Employment
• Total employment is 440, including 180 new jobs
• Thirty-five associates have worked at Wal-Mart for more than 10 years.
• Twenty associates have worked at the Brownsville store since it originally opened in 1987.
• Approximately 76 percent of Wal-Mart store managers started as hourly associates.
• The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is approximately $10.11 per hour.*
• Wal-Mart benefits – available to full- and part-time associates – include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart offers a choice of as many as 18 health plans that cost as little as $11 a month in some areas. Both full and part-time Wal-Mart associates are eligible for health care benefits. 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.

Charitable giving
• $20,100 in charitable contributions to 10 area organizations
o Brownsville Independent School District/Brownsville Academic Center
o Brownsville Adult Literacy Council
o Cameron County Children Advocacy Centers
o CASA of Cameron and Willacy Counties
o City of Brownsville Fire Department
o City of Brownsville Police Department
o Porter High School Boys Soccer
o RGV Educational Broadcasting
o University of Texas at Brownsville Grupo Folklorico
o University of Texas at Brownsville Mariachi

For more information
• Store manager: Bob Rousey, 956-544-0394
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com

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