Wal-Mart to Brundidge

By BETH LAKEY

Staff Writer

More people in town is always good for business and that is what Brundidge businessmen and women are hoping holds true once the Wal-Mart Distribution Center is up and running.

What will be a warehouse facility for Wal-Mart will not only merchandise, but 600 new jobs to the area.

For local stores, that should translate into more money.

Rue Botts, owner of Rue’s Antique Mall, said she was "tickled to death" when Wal-Mart made the announcement.

"It think it’s a wonderful opportunity, not only for Brundidge, but the surrounding area," Botts said, adding many others have expressed similar thoughts to her.

"Anytime you have something of that magnitude come, it’s good."

Wal-Mart plans to invest $40 million into building a distribution center in Brundidge. Construction on the 900,000-square-foot building is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2002 and be complete in September 2003. Hiring will begin in the summer of 2003.

She said the large facility will likely encourage "more people to navigate to Brundidge," because they will be wondering "What has that little town done to get this?"

Don Price, owner of Price Pharmacy, is another person who hopes to reap the benefits of Wal-Mart moving into Brundidge.

"I think it will be a very positive thing," Price said.

The first impact, he said, will be jobs and "take up some of the slack" closings of places like Dorsey Trailers have brought to the area.

Outside of providing jobs, Price expects the distribution center will have "a big economic impact" on Brundidge.

"Everybody is really excited and just interested in getting it going," Price said.

The huge distribution center, which is the company’s newest and largest facility of its kind, will be constructed on 300 acres on Pike County Road 6, across from the Brundidge Country Club.

Brundidge competed with Baldwin County and Crestview, Fla. to land the facility for Pike County, becoming only the third Wal-Mart distribution center in the state. The other two distribution facilities are in Opelika and Cullman.