New Walmart provides 300 jobs, plus savings on wide selection of merchandise
CROWLEY, Texas, March 1, 2012 – A new Walmart opens this month in Crowley, bringing 300 new jobs, savings for local shoppers and an increase in tax revenue to support the area’s economy. Nonprofit organizations will also benefit from the retailer’s ongoing charitable contributions and support for community projects. The Walmart is located at 1221 FM 1187, about one mile off of Interstate 35. Local dignitaries will join store manager Mark Fleming and store associates to celebrate during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 14.
“This is a big deal for our community,” said Crowley City Manager Truitt Gilbreath. “This store will have a tremendous impact on our revenue stream, and when Walmart comes, other businesses follow.”
“We have wanted Walmart for a long time,” said Crowley Mayor Billy P. Davis. “Our tax base is heavily dependent on the housing market. This store is a huge benefit to our city because I believe it will take some tax burden off of our citizens.”
Economic Impact Includes Approximately 300 New Jobs
The Crowley store plans to employ approximately 300 associates. Several associates have transferred to the new store from existing Walmart locations and have worked for the company for more than 10 years.
“The addition of 300 jobs is a big plus,” said Mayor Davis. “This allows our citizens the opportunity to work closer to home. In addition, those associates who live outside of the Crowley city limits will spend money in our community which is an added benefit.”
“Walmart provides job opportunities and career choices for everyone from seniors looking for supplemental income to young people wanting to gain work experience,” Fleming said. He started his career with Walmart as an hourly associate in 1991, working as a cart pusher and an overnight stocker in Okmulgee, Okla. Prior to leading the Crowley store, Fleming was store manager of the Walmart in Mansfield.
Store Designed to Improve Customer Experience
In recent months, Walmart has taken major steps to refresh its stores, merchandising and customer experience. The improvements have all come together in the company’s newest stores, such as the Crowley Walmart, with fast service, a friendly shopping experience and clean stores.
The new Walmart features enhanced services and a layout designed to make the shopping experience more convenient for customers. Walmart aligned the departments that customers shop most frequently.
“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” said Fleming. “By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, including placing health and beauty products near the pharmacy, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”
Store Design Incorporates Environmentally Friendly Features
The new Crowley Walmart, like all new Walmart stores, includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. The store’s skylights harvest daylight and reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily. LED lighting in the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting.
The concrete flooring throughout the store reduces the need for chemical cleaners. Low-flow toilets and no-touch faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms. The new store also operates a recycling program and will promote sustainable product purchases.
Ribbon-Cutting Celebration, 7:30 a.m., March 14
The grand-opening celebration for the Crowley store is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14. Community and businesses leaders will join store associates for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m. Local Boy Scouts will present the colors and country music recording artist Bryan Cline will sing the national anthem. The Crowley High School band will also perform.
Community Organizations Benefit from Grand-Opening Grants
As part of Walmart’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, grants from the Walmart Foundation will be presented to local organizations during the grand-opening ceremony.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 10,000 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2012 sales of approximately $444 billion, Walmart employs 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com, and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com
FACT SHEET
Crowley Walmart
Store facts
- Location: 1221 FM 1187, Crowley, Texas
- 156,000-square-foot Walmart
- Store will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:30 a.m., Wednesday, March 14
- Store manager: Mark Fleming
- Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week
Store features
- Full line of groceries, including a bakery, a deli serving fresh food and meal solutions for busy people on-the-go, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, and beer and wine
- More than 30 merchandise departments such as apparel and accessories, a lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, fabrics, and an expanded electronics department
- Convenience services include a pharmacy with two drive-thru lanes, vision center, digital photo processing center and a Walmart Connect Center
- Leased areas include a Subway restaurant and a branch of First Convenience Bank
Employment
- Store plans to employ approximately 300 associates
- The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Texas is approximately $12.19 per hour*
- Walmart’s benefit program is available to eligible full- and part-time associates and provides a variety of affordable health and well-being benefits including medical insurance with no lifetime maximum. Walmart also offers matching 401(k) contributions of up to 6 percent of pay, discounts on general merchandise for store associates, an Associate Stock Purchase Program and company-paid life insurance. Additionally, eligible associates receive a quarterly incentive based on store performance.
* Average wage taken October 2011. See www.walmartstores.com for details.
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