Sam's Club Bringing Nearly 200 Jobs, Services and Savings to Wentzville

WENTZVILLE, Mo., Oct. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sam's Club will celebrate the opening of its first club in Wentzville – including 200 new jobs to the community – during a special ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Located at 3055 Bear Creek Drive off I-70 at the Wentzville Parkway exit, the new Sam's Club will service one of the fastest growing areas of Missouri and is expected to draw residents of St. Charles and other surrounding counties. Sam's Club will give back to the community by donating nearly $39,000 in grants to local charities in celebration of the grand opening.

"Our Wentzville Sam's Club will enhance the shopping experience in the western section of St. Charles County and even into Lincoln County," said Club Manager Steven Johnson. "Previously, the closest Sam's Club was more than 20 miles away. As members of this rapidly growing community stay busy with work and families, we are excited to help our members save time and money through innovative services and amazing savings."

Wentzville Mayor Nick Guccione lauded the partnership between Sam's Club and the city.

"We are already seeing that Sam's Club is going to be a great partner with our community," said Guccione. "The increase in tax revenue the club will bring will allow for better roads, more police and other benefits for our area. We truly expect the opening of Sam's Club to spur more growth in Wentzville as we reach our second phase of growth."

The Wentzville Sam's Club will be the 17^th club in Missouri. Sam's Club, along with parent company Walmart Stores Inc., employs nearly 42,000 associates in Missouri and last year provided more than $524 million in taxes to state and local municipalities.

Club to Employ 200 Associates, Contribute $39,000 to Community

The Wentzville Sam's Club will employ approximately 200 associates, both full- and part-time.

"Any time a company can bring 200 new jobs to an area, especially in a struggling economy, it is a plus," said Club Manager Johnson, who started his Sam's Club career 23 years ago as a cashier in Lenexa, Kansas. "I went from being a cashier to leading several clubs throughout the nation, which shows the career possibilities available through Sam's Club."

Sam's Club associates selected several local organizations to receive donations, including:

• A $10,000 donation to the SSM St. Joseph Foundation for the obstetrics unit at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West
• A $5,000 donation to LINC
• A $5,000 grant to the Wentzville Green Lantern Senior Center
• A $5,000 grant to for the Friends of Wentzville Park
• The Wentzville Sam's Club will also help fight hunger through regular product donations to the St. Louis Area Food Bank, a certified member of Feeding America.

"We are extremely grateful for this generous gift that will allow us to purchase five new bassinets for our newborns," said Sherry Gerke, director of the SSM St. Joseph Hospital Foundation.  "This is especially timely.  In August we had 127 deliveries, the highest number of babies born in one month at SSM St. Joseph Hospital West since it opened 26 years ago."

In 2011, Sam's Club donated $30.3 million in cash and in-kind donations from stores, clubs and The Walmart Foundation to local non-profit organizations in Missouri.

Grand Opening Event

The grand opening ceremony will take place at 8 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 30. Local officials and members of the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce will be in attendance, along with 200 Sam's Club associates. For opening weekend, Sam's Club will be offering special membership savings.

About Sam's Club

Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is the nation's eighth largest retailer and a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products and services to more than 47 million members in clubs across the U.S., as well as in Brazil, China and Mexico. To learn more about Savings Made Simple^®, visit SamsClub.com, and look for Sam's Club on Twitter, Facebook and on mobile and iPad® apps.

SOURCE Sam's Club