Milwaukee Commercial Photography Meijer Opening
Store Grand Opening
Milwaukee Commercial Photography takes us to a lot of cool events. It was an honor to be a part of the Meijer Opening in Oak Creek last August. Below is an article from Oak Creek Now about the event.
Oak Creek — The wait for the new Meijer supercenter is now over.
The grocery and general merchandise retailer held its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, Aug. 4, preceding the store’s grand opening Aug. 6.
“It’s a great day to be in Oak Creek,” said Mayor Steve Scaffidi at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “When we started this project, it was a big, empty building — an old General Motors plant — that, frankly, we didn’t know what to do with. But because of great leadership and great partners … we were able to open a store like this.”
The supercenter features fresh produce, clothing departments, high-quality merchandise, a full-service pharmacy and a garden center.
Giving back
The new supercenter, located at 171 W. Town Square Way, brings nearly 300 new jobs to the area as well as the company’s commitment to give back to the community. The Michigan-based company donates more than 6 percent of its net profit to charitable organizations each year.
At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Meijer donated $25,000 to the Oak Creek Library for a new Internet café and, shortly after, distributed $25 gift cards to 25 Boys & Girls Club students in Milwaukee to use for shopping.
The Meijer stores in Wisconsin also recently kicked off their “Simply Give” campaign, a hunger relief program that allows customers to purchase a $10 donation card to go toward restocking local food pantries. The Oak Creek location will assist St. Stephen the Martyr’s food pantry.
In addition to its donation programs, Meijer also uses local produce in its grocery department. The retailer has partnerships with five local farmers and businesses in the state, including Alsum Farms of Friesland, Wisconsin.
“As you know, we’re known for focusing on grocery and high-quality merchandise, and I am so looking forward to our team to deliver that to you … in Oak Creek,” Polly Emelander, the Oak Creek Meijer store director, told the crowd before the ribbon-cutting. “We appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and we promise to do the best we can for you and the community of Oak Creek.”
Leading the way
The new Oak Creek Meijer, the fourth in the state, serves as a flagship partner for the city’s Drexel Town Square — a $162 million downtown project comprised of restaurants, apartments, municipal buildings and an array of other businesses.
“…You [Meijer] launched this project,” Scaffidi said. “Because of your willingness to step up and be a partner here, this 86-acre parcel is going to be one of the most dynamic downtown areas in suburban Milwaukee and maybe the state and the country.”
Several businesses, including PetSmart and BelAir Cantina, have joined the mixed-use commercial center since Meijer announced its Oak Creek arrival.
“This is just the start of it — lots of other cool things are happening, and Meijer is a big part of that,” Scaffidi said. “Because of (Meijer), we’ve launched a bunch of other things.”
Meijer’s expansion
Before the Oak Creek ribbon-cutting this week, a similar ceremony was held at the Meijer location in Wauwatosa. Two other Meijer locations — in Grafton and Kenosha — opened in June.
“This is exciting,” Hank Meijer, co-chair of the company, told the audience. “Milwaukee is the closest metropolitan area to where I’m from in Grand Rapids — we just have this ‘little’ lake in between, so it feels very much like home. It’s a real pleasure to be here.”
And more Wisconsin locations are likely to happen soon, Meijer said.
The family-owned and privately-held company — based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan — has more than 200 locations across the Midwest, spanning Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and northern Kentucky.
The company is now planning to add new locations in Waukesha, Greenfield and Sussex next year, while also considering options in Janesville, West Bend and Sheboygan.
“To be a really effective food retailer, you need enough market share to be meaningful for the metro areas and the surrounding areas,” Meijer told Now Newspapers after the ribbon-cutting. “Wisconsin is a new frontier for us. We open about 10 or 12 new locations a year … and I foresee a percentage of those new openings in Wisconsin.”
Aug. 4, 2015
You can see this article in it’s original post on OakCreekNow.com – here is a link!