On Sept. 28, Dollar General Corp. held the grand opening of its 16,000th store in Panama City, Florida. The company marked the event with a community celebration and donations to two local elementary schools at its new store on East Third Street, which will serve Gulf Coast residents still rebuilding from devastation caused by Hurricane Michael in October 2018.
“We are thrilled to expand our store presence with our 16,000th store grand opening celebration today,” says 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. From small towns to metropolitan city centers and every community in between, Dollar General is proud to create positive economic impact and local career opportunities as we provide customers with everyday value and convenience. 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.”
Dollar General presented the first 500 adult customers with $10 gift cards and tote bags containing a variety of complimentary products. Festivities also included giveaways and entertainment provided from several of Dollar General’s vendor partners, complimentary breakfast and lunch and Dollar General’s exclusive Clover Valley private brand snack samples, as well as the opportunity to win a free year of shopping from Dollar General, a prize valued at $520.
Dollar General’s mission of serving others focuses on supporting literacy and education initiatives in it communities. To demonstrate that commitment, Dollar General, in partnership with The Kellogg Company, presented Cedar Grove Elementary School and Parker Elementary School, both located in Panama City, Florida, each with $16,000 to commemorate the event.
Additionally, Mayor Greg Brudnicki, Panama City, and Mayor Ralph Hammond, City of Springfield, each issued proclamations in their respective municipalities declaring Sept. 28, 2019, as “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,” says Panama City Mayor Greg Brudnicki. “We appreciate Dollar General for reinvesting in our community.”
“The City of Springfield is very proud to have Dollar General back up and open in our community,” says City of Springfield Mayor Ralph Hammond. “The grand opening will help our community in its healing from the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Our recovery efforts are moving forward toward a newer, bigger and better community, and we are thankful to Dollar General for supporting our city. We looking forward to continuing our partnership for many years to come.”
Dollar General opened one of its first Florida locations in Panama City more than 42 years ago in 1977. The company also operates one of its 16 distribution centers in Alachua, Florida. To date, Dollar General employs more than 8,300 Floridians.
Based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Dollar General was originally founded in 1939 as Turner and Son Wholesale by J.L. Turner and Cal Turner Sr. The father-and-son team opened the first Dollar General retail location in Springfield, Kentucky, in 1955. Today, Dollar General employs more than 141,000 people through 16,000 retail stores, 16 traditional distribution centers and four DG Fresh facilities in 44 states. The company plans to expand its presence to 46 states by adding store locations in Wyoming and Washington in fiscal year 2020.
