Cook County EDC | Positive economic tide flows from new Walmart Supercenter

Positive economic tide flows from new Walmart Supercenter

By: Charles Shiver

There is an old saying, “A rising tide lifts all boats.”

That adage may be used regarding the new Walmart Supercenter at Interstate 75 Exit 39 in Adel.

Hundreds of local residents turned out at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 20, for the grand opening ceremony of Walmart Store 7194 in Adel. The first few days after the official opening were believed to be among the busiest ever for a new Walmart anywhere. “We had one of the better grand openings among the nine Walmart stores that opened around the same time across the nation,” said Store Manager Marcus Johnston. “And we are still doing well.” In addition to motorists off I-75 and Cook County residents, the Walmart Supercenter is drawing customers from such neighboring communities as Nashville, Tifton, and Hahira, Johnston added.

Walmart has significantly boosted the local economy, particularly in the area of sales tax.

A renewal of the 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is planned for the Tuesday, Nov. 8, general election ballot. Adel City Manager John Flythe said that under the renewed SPLOST’s distribution of revenue, the other local municipalities, Cecil, Lenox, and Sparks, and the County will reimburse the City of Adel for a portion of the costs associated with paving Alabama Street for the location of Walmart. The 2016 SPLOST referendum takes into account an estimated $30 million in annual sales for Walmart. John Flythe further noted that Walmart will create additional funds from the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) for the County and municipalities as well.

According to Flythe, based upon the conservative estimate of $30 million in annual sales revenue for Walmart, sales tax revenue generated under the current SPLOST is expected to increase from $1.4 million each for the City of Adel and County, to $1.935 million for Adel and $1.99 million for County over the six years of the renewed SPLOST. As a result of the additional Walmart sales revenue, the increases will be from $450,000 to $495,000 for the Town of Sparks; $225,000 to $247,500 for the Town of Lenox; and $75,000 to $82,500 for the Town of Cecil.

He projected that as a result of the $30 million in annual Walmart sales revenue, the County will see an increase of $1,089,000 and the City of Adel, an increase of $165,000, over the next six years of the Local Option Sales Tax. With a possible $40 million in annual Walmart sales calculated, the County will see an increase of $1,452,000 and Adel, $221,000, over the next six years of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST).

The Walmart Supercenter is approximately 123,000 square feet and is located at 351 Alabama Road. An announcement will be made soon about the hiring of an optometrist for the Adel Walmart Vision Center, Marcus Johnston said.

The Walmart Supercenter is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Christmas. Walmart currently has hired about 221 employees to handle that volume of business, Johnston said.

The Walmart’s location here is another big example of the Cook County market attention of other national chain businesses, restaurants in particular such as Pizza Hut and Zaxby’s.

The Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting prior to the general public entering the store for the first time on Wednesday, April 20, 2016.

Marcus Johnston thanked the community for their support and Cleveland Construction for their hard work in building the store. Johnston also introduced the store’s management team.

“Today is a special day,” Adel Mayor Buddy Duke said in his welcoming remarks. The Walmart project has been on the horizon for many years, he said. “It’s finally here. We can see it, smell it, and touch it, and if we go inside for the food, we will be able to taste it.”

Mayor Duke thanked the Walmart officials for trusting in and investing in this community. “We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with Walmart,” he said