The Wegmans Wake Forest store on the N.C. 98 Bypass (Dr. Calvin Jones Highway) and an extension of Ligon Mill Road is slated to open in May of 2021.
It will be the fourth Wegmans in North Carolina, joining existing stores in Raleigh and Cary and a new Chapel Hill store that will open in late February. Together the Chapel Hill and Wake Forest stores will employ about 900 people.
Wake Forest store manager Patrick McGuinness sent out a news release last week saying the store will be hiring about 200 fulltime employees for jobs ranging from entry level to culinary professional positions. The store has been hiring since September. To apply, anyone 16 or older can go to jobs.wegmans.com. The new Wegmans employees are being trained in the Raleigh and Cary stores.
Guinness said in his news release, “As our company expands in North Carolina, there is a big opportunity for employees to advance their careers. My team is looking for candidates who share our passion for food and are eager to learn and grow with us. We have many employees who begin in one position and move into different roles depending on their interest.”
There are already more than 900 Wegmans employees in the state. When the chain announced in 2016 that it was coming to North Carolina it said it planned six stores in the Raleigh-Durham area.
“When we visited the Raleigh-Durham area in 2014, we quickly saw that the area had everything we were looking for,” said Ralph Uttaro, Senior Vice President of Real Estate and Development. “With the population expanding rapidly, we saw the potential for it to become a multi-store market. Our timing was perfect, as multiple real estate opportunities quickly presented themselves.”
“I am so proud of everything our North Carolina store teams have accomplished over the past two years,” said Blaine Forkell, division manager for Virginia and North Carolina. “The Raleigh and Cary communities have welcomed us with open arms, and we can’t wait to grow our footprint in the Raleigh-Durham area with our next two stores. We have met some great applicants and are looking to continue hiring people who share our love for food and commitment to incredible customer service.”
In the news release sent at the same time, there was this statement: “One of our first priorities as we break ground on a new store is to establish relationships in the community. Getting to know the local schools, food banks and food pantries, United Ways, and other local non-profits allows us to determine how we can best make a difference in each community we serve.
“Our employees live and work in these neighborhoods, and are passionate about the organizations, projects, events, and fundraisers that better the community for all. Since entering North Carolina, we’ve donated roughly $250,000 to more than 200 local community organizations. As a food company, our mission is to help our customers and employees live healthier, better lives through food, and that goes far beyond the products we sell in our stores. Committed to supporting our communities, we focus on sharing food and enriching our neighborhoods in every way we can.”
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