Dollar General celebrates Aurora distribution center progress, grand opening of newly remodeled DG Market in Texas
Dollar General is celebrating the progress of its distribution center currently under construction in Aurora, Colo., as well as the grand opening of a newly remodeled DG Market in Lockney, Texas.
Dollar General recently met with elected officials including Lynn Baca from Adams County to tour the center. The state-of-the-art, approximately one million sq. ft. facility represents an approximately $172 million investment in the area.
“At Dollar General, we operate every day under our mission of Serving Others, which serves as the cornerstone of our culture and foundation on which we do business.” said Rod West, Dollar General’s executive vice president of global supply chain. “We believe the addition of each new distribution center represents positive economic impact, and we are excited to extend our mission in Aurora with new jobs, economic investments and providing area libraries, schools and nonprofit organizations with the opportunity to apply for Dollar General Literacy Foundation grants.”
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At full capacity, the Aurora facility is expected to create approximately 400 new jobs and career growth opportunities. Available positions in general warehouse, human resources, inventory control, maintenance, training and administrative areas to support the Distribution Center and DG Private Fleet operations are currently expected to be online in early 2024 at www.dollargeneral.com/careers.
“Our employees are the heart of our company, and their success is important to us,” said Ivan Reeves, Dollar General’s senior vice president of global supply chain human resources. “At Dollar General, we provide opportunities for personal and professional development, and ultimately, career advancement. We believe the opportunity to develop a career with a growing and purpose-driven company is a unique competitive advantage, and we look forward to welcoming new Aurora employees to the Dollar General family next year.”
Aurora is Dollar General’s first distribution center in Colorado and part of a growing presence in the Centennial State. Dollar General opened its first store in Poinsett County in 2002 and currently employs more than 650 Coloradoans through approximately 75 stores.
Dollar General and residents also celebrated the grand opening of a newly remodeled DG market in Lockney, Texas.
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In November 2022, the sole grocer in Lockney closed its doors, leaving a community of 1,500 in a food desert. The town, especially its elderly population, lacked access to fresh produce with the closest grocery store being more than 15 miles away.
To help fill the gap for community members, Lockney residents turned to their local Dollar General for aid. DG Store Manager Amber received an outpouring of letters from the community requesting that a produce section be added to the Lockney store with one resident writing, “We are an aging community. Please upgrade your store with produce so people don’t have to shop out of town. Our children need healthy options for school lunches and after school.”
Additionally, 99-year-old Lucy Dean Record, a local advocate also known as the “Queen of Western Swing,” became a champion voice for Lockney’s aging population. She requested DG add fresh produce to its store, “for the convenience of the many elderly people that we have in our town.”
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After receiving the letters and calls, Amber knew what a store expansion could mean for the Lockney community. “Many residents do not have the means to travel to get fresh produce and groceries often. They needed more accessibility to fresh food closer to home,” she shared.
Hearing a calling from its team, customers and community leaders, Dollar General acted swiftly to add its fresh fare selection to the Lockney store in July 2023 and most recently, fully remodeled and upgraded the store to a DG Market in December 2023 which now offers an expanded selection of fresh meat, dairy, produce and more. To commemorate the community coming together with DG to meet the need, DG recently hosted local officials and residents for a grand opening and community celebration event.
Dollar General said this effort is a testament to DG’s mission of Serving Others and on-going commitment to address food insecurity to better serve its hometown communities. DG currently offers fresh fruits and vegetables in more than 4,400 stores, with a meaningful number of them in current United States Department of Agriculture defined food deserts.