W-A-L-M-A-R-T! Wal-Mart associates spelled out and chanted the store’s name minutes before the grand opening. For some, it spells competition or commercialism; for others, it spells convenience.The Wal-Mart grand opening was a highly anticipated event for many residents of the eastern plains and quite a few folks were chomping at the bit as the doors opened at 7:30 a.m. July 18.The 184,212-square-foot-store will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The trademark one-stop shopping pulls through – offering shoppers a full line of groceries and retail items and tire and lube express services and photo lab and drive-up pharmacy.Subway, Academy Bank, Regal Nail Salon and SmartStyle Family Hair Salon have also leased space inside the super store.The new store also offers products from area companies including Color Star Growers and Sinton Dairy. “It feels great to have the opportunity to support our local suppliers and offer our customers quality products from Colorado companies,” said manager Marc Skaggs.To tie into the Wal-Mart “go green” theme, the Falcon center features a daylight harvesting system, which uses skylights to reflect daylight throughout the store and light sensors to monitor the amount of natural light available. The store also features energy-efficient freezer cases that keep foods colder, use less energy and are equipped with energy-saving light-emitting diode lighting and motion sensors. The stained concrete floors are specially designed to require little maintenance. “We’re committed to saving energy while providing a pleasant shopping experience for our customers,” Skaggs said.More than 1,200 applications have been received for the 350 planned jobs at the store, said Skaggs, who started in 1998 as an hourly associate at a Durango store. He said more than 80 percent of the staff lives in Falcon or surrounding towns on the eastern plains. Twenty-five of the Falcon store associates have been with Wal-Mart for more than 10 years.Wal-Mart officials, on behalf of the Falcon store, presented the following charitable contributions to these eastern plains organizations:
- Falcon Fire Protection District – $4,000
- El Paso County 4-H Foundations – $2,500
- El Paso County Fair and Events Complex Resource Development – $5,000
- El Paso County Sheriff’s Canine Department – $2,500
- Ellicott School D22- $4,000
- Falcon School D49 – $4,000
- Calhan Lion’s Club – $5,000
- Mountain Springs Church Helping Hands Outreach Program – $1,250
- Latigo Trail Heritage Center – $1,250
