New Buda Wal-Mart Supercenter Expected to Boost Local Economy Through Added Sales Tax Revenues and JobsStore adds 380 new jobs to area and incentive for more business in northern Hays County
BUDA, Texas, Aug. 14, 2006 – The newest Wal-Mart Supercenter in Hays County will celebrate its grand opening on Wednesday, Aug. 16, with a focus on serving its community and customers. The Buda Supercenter will hold its grand opening ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Doors will open to the public at 8 a.m. As part of the grand opening celebration, the store will provide $33,500 in donations to help neighborhood schools and other area organizations. The store is located at 690 Old San Antonio Road, near the FM 2001 exit of Interstate 35. The local community is expected to receive an economic boost from the new store. Many Buda residents currently travel to San Marcos or nearby south Austin to purchase groceries and dry goods at Wal-Mart Supercenters in those communities. Local leaders are pleased that sales tax dollars once spent elsewhere can now remain in Buda. “We are delighted that Wal-Mart chose Buda for its home in northern Hays County,” said Warren Ketteman, executive director of the Buda Economic Development Corporation. “This store will be a tremendous asset to Buda, Kyle and the entire area. From what I’ve witnessed in other towns, Wal-Mart’s presence will help us keep shoppers and their sales tax dollars closer to home, and attract new businesses to the community. The increased sales tax revenue will help benefit our local schools and community services.” Direct Store Grants Benefit Local Organizations Upon its opening, the store will announce $33,500 in donations through Wal-Mart’s Good Works community involvement program to a number of organizations, including $10,000 to the Hays Consolidated ISD Education Foundation. “We would like to thank Wal-Mart for its generosity,” said Dr. Kirk London, Hays CISD superintendent. “We appreciate its interest in our community and in working with our school district. I know the community is excited about the new store and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with Wal-Mart.” Lee Raines, president of the Hays CISD Education Foundation, added, “We are pleased to have Wal-Mart in our community. This grant amounts to one of the largest donations in the Foundation’s history.” “As the newest neighbor in the community, we realize financial support to local organizations helps make a real difference,” said Store Manager Dale Koehler. “We are thrilled to provide $10,000 toward our local schools as part of our grand opening celebration. I can assure you we will continue to play a leadership role in supporting the needs of Hays County.” EDITOR’S NOTE: More grant recipients are listed on the facts sheet on page four. The store plans to give donations away locally throughout the year. Buda organizations can also contact the store to inquire about grants, matching grants and opportunities to raise dollars outside store locations throughout the year. One-Stop Shopping Convenience The new Supercenter’s exterior was designed with the Hill Country in mind, with stone and brick complemented by cedar and tin accents. The interior features a new customer-oriented layout, wider aisles, wood floors in the apparel departments and coordinated merchandise displays. The store was built with an environmentally friendly design, with skylights, energy-efficient lighting and concrete flooring. The Supercenter has been designed as a convenient one-stop family shopping center. According to Koehler, the new 203,819-square-foot store features a full line of groceries as well as a bakery, a delicatessen, a frozen food section and meat, dairy and fresh produce sections. It has 36 general merchandise areas including apparel and accessories, sporting goods, fine jewelry, and health and beauty aids. Customers will find a variety of products produced by local companies, such as D.L. Jardine’s salsas, Night Hawk frozen entrees and fishing floats from Comal Fishing Tackle Company. The store also has 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. Customers will find home décor and organization merchandise grouped together for their shopping convenience, and the store will stock a selection of Hispanic-oriented merchandise, including specialty foods, health and beauty aids, and household chemicals. The store also has an expanded lawn and garden center with a wide selection of live plants, outdoor furniture and other gardening items. Additional store features include a Tire & Lube Express, a family fun center, a McDonald’s restaurant, a SmartStyle hair salon, a Regal Nails salon, a vision center, a one-hour photo lab, a pharmacy with two drive-through lanes and a Wal-Mart Connect Center for wireless phone sales. Woodforest Bank will have a branch inside the store, and a Murphy USA gasoline station will soon open in front of the store. The new 24-hour store will be open seven days a week and includes 16 full-service, eight express and four self check-out lanes. 1,800 Applications; 380 new jobs thus far More than 1,800 people have applied for 450 positions planned at the store, according to Koehler. As of Aug. 7, the store had hired more than 380 associates. Wal-Mart offers both full and part-time jobs at the store, as well as added benefits of employee discounts, eligibility for bonuses, a 401(k) plan and multiple healthcare plans associates can choose from based on their individual and family needs. Wal-Mart has created more than 240,000 new jobs over the past three years in the United States. The national average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates is approximately $10.11 per hour.* “Working for Wal-Mart provides a number of job opportunities and choices for so many people, from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people just starting their work experience,” said Koehler. Ten of the Buda store’s associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years, working at other stores and relocating to the new store. Grand Opening Celebration 7:30 a.m., Aug. 16 Pastor Mark Porterfield of the Buda United Methodist Church will conduct the invocation at the grand opening ceremony, and Wal-Mart associate Francisca Melendez will sing the national anthem. Representatives from the Buda Area Chamber of Commerce will be among those cutting the ribbon to the new store. Community leaders from Buda and Kyle are scheduled to attend the celebration. Checks will be presented to representatives from local community organizations as part of the celebration. Throughout the day, a mariachi band will perform, and children will be able to play in a spacewalk. Customers will also be able to enjoy numerous product samples, character appearances and giveaways. Wal-Mart in Texas EDITOR’S NOTE: See www.walmartfacts.com for more information about Wal-Mart in Texas. As of July 2006, Wal-Mart employed 144,562 associates and owned and operated the following facilities in the state of Texas:
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. EDITOR’S NOTES
FACT SHEET
Buda Wal-Mart Supercenter Store fast facts
Store features
Charitable giving $33,500 in charitable contributions to area organizations
Employment
For more information
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