Dollar General opens 16,000th store
Panama City, Fla., is the site of Dollar General’s latest milestone store. The company celebrated the grand opening of its 16,000th location there Sunday, hosting a community celebration that also saw the retailer make donations to two local elementary schools in the area that still is rebuilding after Hurricane Michael tore through last October.
“We are thrilled to expand our store presence with our 16,000th store grand opening celebration today,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO. “From our first store in rural Kentucky to today’s 16,000th store in Panama City, our commitment to serve the communities we call home has never wavered. We are grateful we can support the Panama City community, which continues to rebuild from Hurricane Michael’s landfall last year, and demonstrate our mission of Serving Others through donations made to two local elementary schools today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the entire Dollar General family whose hard work and dedication have helped us reach this significant milestone.”
The company awarded the first 500 adult customers $10 gift cards and tote bags with complimentary products. The event also featured giveaways and entertainment provided by several vendor partners, complimentary breakfast and lunch and a sampling of the retailer’s Clover Valley private-label brand snacks. The donations were made to Cedar Grove and Parker elementary schools, each of which received $16,000 provided by Dollar General and Kellogg. Additionally, Panama City mayor Greg Brudnicki declared Sept. 28, 2019, Dollar General Day.
“Economic progress in a community comes in many forms, and the opening of Dollar General’s 16,000th store is another positive step forward in the community getting back to normalcy from Hurricane Michael,” Brudnicki said. “We appreciate Dollar General for reinvesting in our community.”
The company opened one of its first locations in Panama City in 1977, and one of its 16 distribution centers is in Alachua, Fla. All told, the company employs more than 8,300 Floridians.