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Renovated Wal-Mart to add 150 new jobs

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Contributed by: Wal-Mart on 4/29/2008

A familiar stop for residents in Highlands Ranch will unveil the results of its expansion Wednesday, April 30. Bringing a full-line of fresh grocery selections to customers, the newly expanded Wal-Mart Supercenter also plans to add 150 new jobs to the area.

The store, located at 6675 Business Center Drive, will celebrate its grand opening at 7:30 a.m.

"As a Supercenter, our shoppers will be able to get all of their fresh groceries and their every day necessities in one stop at great prices," Store Manager Scott Sloan said. "In every section of the store, we aim to save our customers money so they can live better."

The largest area of growth for the store is the addition of a complete grocery department which will offer shoppers a wide selection of fresh grocery items and prepared foods. Customers will find a fresh bakery with custom birthday cakes, an array of side dishes to complement the freshly prepared meals in the delicatessen, a frozen food section, meat department, dairy and a selection of organic foods.

Store Brings Additional Jobs to Local Residents

Sloan said that familiar faces at the Supercenter will continue to provide the great service Highlands Ranch customers have come to expect. Twenty of the store's associates have worked for Wal-Mart for more than 10 years. As a result of the expansion, the store hired approximately 150 new associates.

"Wal-Mart offers great career opportunities and we are very excited to add 150 new associates to our team," Sloan said. "I started my career at Wal-Mart 26 years ago. I was in college and got a job pushing carts and today I am a store manager."

Community Grants Kick-Off Grand Opening

Sloan said the new Supercenter will continue to provide support for local causes, beginning with the donation of $18,000 in grants benefiting various organizations in communities across Douglas County. Grants include a $5,000 grant to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver; $2,500 to the Mountain Region Black Economic Summit for scholarships; and a $2,500 donation to the Arc of Arapahoe & Douglas to support public education programs.

Steve Dyer, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Highlands Ranch, noted that the Highlands Ranch Wal-Mart is a great community partner and has been generous with its time and money over the last dozen years. "Wal-Mart continues to be a very supportive business partner and Highlands Ranch Chamber member," he said. "It is great to have such a strong and consistent company as part of the Highlands Ranch community."

Store Includes Expanded Selections and Convenience

General merchandise departments include apparel, accessories and fine jewelry, an expanded lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, and a full line of electronics showcasing the latest in computers, digital media players and high-definition televisions.

Highlands Ranch customers will also notice the Supercenter is carrying a new expanded home furnishings department featuring products from Wal-Mart's new Canopy™ brand, a line of durable, affordable furniture and home accessories.

The new line carries furniture for every room in the home or home office as well as table and bath linens, tableware, lamps and rugs. Wood pieces are designed with active families in mind and feature a mar-resistant Hard Coat finish.

Spills are easily cleaned on the upholstered pieces, which are covered in stain-resistant chenille. Products in the home furnishings department will be organized by room and will feature more visible signage and displays showing how the products coordinate in a given room.

Wal-Mart MoneyCenter Offers Shoppers Additional Services

In addition, the new Supercenter will have a Wal-Mart MoneyCenter 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.

Customers can also get a Wal-Mart Money Card, which is a prepaid reloadable Visa card that provides many of the features and conveniences of a checking account and credit card without a credit check or the need for a bank account.

Supercenter Expansion Includes Environmentally Friendly Features

The new 208,0000-square-foot Highlands Ranch Supercenter was constructed with energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste.

For example, the freezer cases and non-sales areas of the store have LED lights and sensors that automatically shut off the lights when those areas are unoccupied or customers or associates are not present. LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting.

Grand Opening Activities

To celebrate the new store opening, local residents are invited to attend the 7:30 a.m. grand opening activities, which will include an invocation by an associate, Charlie Sartin, and presentation of colors, by the Colorado Color Guard (Air Force). Soloist Tim Zollner from Highlands Ranch High School will lead the national anthem. Other activities planned during the celebration include numerous product samplings, costume character appearances and giveaways.

Wal-Mart in Colorado
As of April 2008, Wal-Mart employed 25,674 associates in Colorado and owned and operated the following facilities in the state as of January:

· Supercenters: 55
· Discount Stores: 9
· Sam's Clubs: 15
· Distribution Centers: 1

Store fast facts
· Location: 6675 Business Center Drive, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
· Originally opened in 1989 at 8181 South Quebec, Englewood; moved to current address 12 years ago
· 208,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter
· Store opening 8 a.m., Wednesday, April 30; 7:30 a.m. grand opening ceremony
· Store manager: Scott Sloan

Charitable giving
· $18,000 in charitable contributions to area organizations:

o Arc of Arapahoe & Douglas
o Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver
o Douglas County Educational Foundation
o Douglas County Public Library System
o Inter-Faith Community Services
o Mountain Region Black Economic Summit
o Roxborough Elementary School
o Womens Crisis and Family Outreach Center

Store features
· Full line of groceries, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, health and beauty aids, toys, vision center, garden center, Tire & Lube Express, Academy Bank branch, McDonald's restaurant with unique coffee shop, one-hour digital photo lab, Regal Nail Salon, pharmacy, family fun center and a Wal-Mart Connect Center.
· Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Employment
· The store plans to employ approximately 425 associates, including 150 new associates hired as a result of the expansion.
· The average wage at Wal-Mart for regular full-time hourly associates in Colorado is approximately $11.70 per hour.*
· Store Manager Scott Sloan began his Wal-Mart career as a cart pusher in 1977 at a Wal-Mart store in Stillwater, Okla.
· Wal-Mart benefits - available to 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, company performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance.
* Average wage taken February 2008. See www.walmartstores.com for details.

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