With the opening of their new store in Constant Friendship only a month away, Wegmans executives visited Harford County this week to introduce themselves and their company to the community, or at least to local media.
Two Wegmans-employed public relations personnel and Bel Air store manager Al Jackson met with The Dagger not at the still-under-construction building, but at Panera Bread in The Festival at Bel Air. The group spent about 30 minutes in the busy cafe carefully supporting their choice of location and reassuring me, a local resident, of the benefits that the new Bel Air store will bring to the area.
(Note: While the new store is located in Abingdon, the three interviewees and the company’s Web site referred to it as the “Bel Air” store; for clarity, this story will use their geographic label.)
“Fifteen to 18 acres on a great intersection, as we found here, is exactly what we look for,” said Jo Natale, Wegmans’ Director of Media Relations. “Then we look for population density and the potential for population growth, which is certainly the case for Harford County.”
With four stores open in Maryland already, the new location in The Boulevard at Box Hill is expected to be a reflection of their closest store in Hunt Valley, which opened in 2005.
“With the success of that store, we realized that Maryland was a place that we wanted to grow our company, and we began looking for sites,” said Natale. “I couldn’t tell you exactly when we found the Bel Air site, but….we’ve been working at it for a number of years.”
Despite the growing traffic congestion and crime rates that have become an increasing problem for residents of southern Harford County, neither issue was a concern for Wegmans’ managers.
“In markets that are densely populated, we’re near very large cities in some cases, so [crime] is one of the things that you have to deal with as a business,” Natale stated. “But that’s low on the list of things we worry about.”
Although Wegmans’ opening week and the coming winter holidays will be very busy times for the store, the company is also confident that traffic will not be an issue on the surrounding roads.
“Whether their customers can access the new store easily and safely is of the highest importance” to company researchers, said Natale. Traffic studies are conducted at every potential building site to prevent a problem with area transportation.
Local law enforcement will also be on site for the store’s opening on Sept. 18, Jackson added. “They’ll be helping with traffic, they’ll help get our customers into the area, and then getting them out just as easily.”
Despite the potential hazards that come with the new site, the “most pleasant surprise” of the opening process has been the record number of job applications that they have received for the Bel Air location, according to Jackson. With more than 9,000 job applicants to date, his team is coming to the end of the hiring phase and beginning to focus on employee training. Of approximately 520 new employees, 450 will be Harford County residents.
“Generally, our store employees reflect the communities where we have our store. It’s just naturally seems to work out that way,” said Natale. “We try to reach out to everyone and anyone who may be interested in working for us.”
As a part of their community outreach, Wegmans has offered scholarships to both full and part-time employees since 1984. The scholarships are awarded on both employee and academic performance, but there is no limit to how many are given each year.
“Part-time employees receive $1,500 a year for four years and full-time employees [get] $2,200 over four years,” Natale quoted. “We’ve awarded $75 million to 25,000 employees, so it doesn’t target any particular population at all.”
Despite the recent closings of several grocery stores in the surrounding area, the Wegmans company insists they their desire is to create a shopping experience that appeals to everyone.
“What’s very important for us is for our customers to understand [is] that we are not about upscale,” Natale insisted. “We offer a high selection in the stores [and] wonderful customer service…but [we have] lower prices than other supermarkets.”
The new location will feature produce from Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region, using many of the same suppliers as the store in Hunt Valley. Jackson did not have the exact names or locations of the contracted farms immediately available.
Each day, produce from the Bel Air store will be given to local food pantries in an effort to give back to the community. As “a kick off,” Wegmans will donate a truck load of food to the Harford Community Action Agency during the coming month. Cynthia Glover, the owner of Smart Works, a Baltimore area marketing company working with Wegmans, said the exact date for the event would be released soon.
“Lots of folks don’t realize that this is really a bigger time of the year than the holidays… because kids are out of school,” Natale said. “They’re not getting free lunch or breakfast, and they’re going to the food banks and food pantries to get stuff.”
Before leaving our table, Jackson offered a complimentary bag of Wegmans products for me to take home and sample. All of the merchandise, which included both specialty and staple ingredients, will also be donated to a Harford County charity. What was in the bag?
-Infused olive oil
-Pasta
-Marinara Sauce
-Granola
-Chicken Stock
-Canned Tomatoes
I’m glad The Dagger clarified the use of “Bel Air store” This store is in Abingdon, closer to Edgewood than Bel Air; just another marketing strategy. I’m sure the folks of Abingdon and the southern reaches of Bel Air will enjoy their new store, but I don’t expect many of us townies to schlep all the way down close to I-95 for groceries.
Wegmans calling themselves a Bel Air store is just normal practice for a lot of places. Cracker Barrel calls itself a Bel Air store and they are in Belcamp. It is just so people from outside of the area can find them. I live in Darlington and will be doing my shopping there because I think they are a great store and are worth the trip
Blame the Postal Service for Cracker Barrel’s confusion. Yes, it’s next to the Belcamp exit off I-95; however, if you look at your receipt, their zip code is 21015 — Bel Air. (See http://www.city-data.com/zipmaps/Bel-Air-Maryland.html) However, it’s also a given that there’s more cachet to saying you’re in Bel Air than in Abingdon or Edgewood or practically anywhere else in Harford County. That’s why there’s a shopping center called Festival at Bel Air when it’s hardly in Bel Air at all, except for the zip code.
what do you consider the cutoff for bel air then? I understand Wegmans really being in Abingdon, but Bel Air starts somewhere. Why do you not really consider the Festival to be in Bel Air?
Wegman’s is a great store. If you need it they probably have it.
9,000 applications for 520 positions. If that doesn’t convince you the job market is tough, nothing will.
“Although Wegmans’ opening week and the coming winter holidays will be very busy times for the store, the company is also confident that traffic will not be an issue on the surrounding roads”.
Uh, OK whatever you say…
Lets see if this holds true the week or two before Christmas. I kinda doubt it…
It may be a fine store with lots of products, but you couldn’t get me out in the middle of that mess for love or money.
Well I ‘schlep’ to Hunt Valley 3 weeks out of 4 to shop at Wegman’s because they have a lot of stuff that the local stores won’t carry. Their prices for the exact same items compared to local chains like Giant ShopRite, Weis, etc., are nearly always less across the board and I don’t mean by a few pennies. The Wegman Company is consistently ranked as one of the top 5 places to work in the US by Fortune magazine. I am anxiously waiting for the opening. Traffic? Nothing is worse than Bel Air on the weekend. I’ll deal with it.
Oh, and by the way, I don’t work there and I don’t have any relatives that work there and I don’t own stock in the company. Wegman’s is a quality store that offers top notch products at very fair prices, customer service that will knock your socks off and treats their employees very well. I have always wondered why the other stores can’t do it.
I will deal with the traffic as well! This is the best thing to happen in Harford County in a long, long time. However, it is slightly disappointing that a Panera Bread will be in that shopping center. I was hoping for something a little more exciting than that. A mom & pop Italian grocer/deli perhaps?
Jennifer,
While it is perplexing they’re putting a Panera bread there, there will be many more options to come in this place. Think Hunt Valley Town Center and you’ll get the idea.
Unfortunately, the developer has changed most of the design plans and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be quite as “up scale” as Hunt Valley. The latest plans are a little more basic shopping center feely.
I don’t get that a Panera is going in there. It’s where the Wegman’s officials met with the author of this article, or am I reading it wrong?
I don’t know if you are reading it wrong or not because I really can’t tell how you are reading it. Wegman’s is a quality company that is very aware of and involved in the community wherever they have stores. They knew that in the near future a Panera was going to open near them so they decided to do an interview in the other Panera knowing that it would likely be mentioned in the article. Panera likes being mentioned in articles since it is a pretty good store for what it does. Very smooth, Wegman’s, very smooth. What I would expect from leadership in an extremely well run company.
Wegmans’ got a lease restriction so there will be no other type of grocer in Box Hill.
I was also hoping for something more interesting than what we already have a few miles away, but on the bright side, Panera looks like they are going to use one of their larger open-air style cafe store designs, with plenty of outdoor seating– which is a step up from the Festival location.
There is also going to be a Joe’s Crab Shack. Possibly JC Penney (not official yet, but looks that way). Most of the others are slated to be boutique style shops.
good luck w/ that. surely you recognize that developers and landlords are most interested in large companies w/ large amounts of credit, and the majority of local residents want impersonal, homogeneous places to eat (see Famous Dave e.g.)
Explain to me what is wrong with Famous Dave’s? I think it is a GREAT place for the family to eat without breaking the bank
ResidenExpert is a locavore elitist, except they can’t define what is local and what isn’t or where local begins and ends.
I recommend the great Maryland Maple Syrup, Maryland Cod and Maryland Romano Cheese.
they so need an Italian Deli here! Moving from Jersey I can not find a decent sub anywhere! If one more local recommends me Subway I think I will go insane! lol
Greg,
I know your pain having moved here from NJ in 1999. Best subs are at Tamberino’s in Hickory on Rt One. Worth the trip and the only sub that comes close to home.
Greg
The BEST Italian sub I have found is Sam’s in Edgewood. It is right on 40 at the corner of 40& Edgewood Road. They also serve a decent sub at LaCucina in Havre de Grace on Washington Street. Owned by the BEST Italian couple I know. Oh and I have some Italian friends who like Savon’s on Main street in Bel Air and Italian Sensations on rt 22 in the Safeway Plaza and on Rt 1 in Fallston
HappieGrannie, you are right. Sam’s is the best. But you’re speaking to the deaf ears population. Those same people that won’t go to the new Wegman’s because of it’s location are even more afraid of EDGEWOOD! Just the statement containing “schlep all the way down close to I95” should have been a dead giveaway. People are always better on “their” side of 95. Of course tell that to the Pizza Hut employee who was robbed a while back on 22 in … Wait for it.. Bel Air! Or the Exxon employee across from the hospital who was shot in ….. wait for it…. Bel Air. Of course those same people will probably say that it’s actually in Abingdon.
Jennifer
Have you tried Savon’s on Main Street? They are the closest we have in town and then on 165 just off 152 just can’t remember the name other then it starts with an M
‘nothing is worse than Bel Air (traffic) on a weekend’?? what? even if the furthest you ever go is to Wegman’s on Shawan Rd you must see what the York Rd corridor is like, which, by the way, is where the Rte 24 and 924 corridors are headed.
In case you are not familiar with how to get to Wegman’s in Hunt Valley there is no need to navigate the York Road corridor. So I am not really clear what you are trying to say. Maybe you aren’t really clear on what you are trying to say either.
It is a great store – really but don’t loose perspective – it’s a supermarket – that’s it. It doesn’t make or break a town no matter where it says it’s located…it is a supermarket – I find it sad the hype and hope it has generated…
Have you ever been to a Wegmans? It is much more than a supermarket. I know I sound like an advertisement but there is a lot more to it than shelves of groceries.
Harford Mom
The last thing Wegmans is is just another supermarket. That is like saying The Mona Lisa is just another painting. Wegmans is just about the most interesting store I have ever been in. The 1st time I ever went into one my husband and I spent over 3 hrs there. Looking at everything and tasting all the sample foods. It is just such an amazing experience. Wait till you go there
Harford Mom,
I never find generating hype and hope sad, especially if it becomes reality. Wegman’s brought 500 jobs (yes, many of them part time) to Harford County and the best food store you will ever visit. Period. And the prices are good. Is there something wrong with that? I admire and thank the Klein family and what they have done and continue to do for the community but don’t believe for a minute that they would have re-invented the Festival store if not for Wegman’s. So let’s celebrate an all around good thing for the local community instead of feeling sad. If this makes you feel sad, what would make you happy?
I went to the Hunt Valley opening of Wegman’s and go if I am in the area. I can see shopping there on a routine basis. I live in Bel Air and drive to BJ’s to shop, so adding Wegman’s into that trip is not a problem. It’s a great store. One of the best supermarkets I have been in. Only Harris Teeter in the south runs second in my mind. Other grocers must be nervous. I see fresh paint and remodeled stores all around Bel Air.
Justamom
Do you know there is a Harris Teeter in Federal Hill
It is a grocery store, at heart. And as much of a fan of Wegman’s as I am, I don’t see myself going there too often mostly because of the crowd. I mean, I like to go grocery shopping during Raven’s games and on Friday nights to avoid crowds. My hope is that it pulls enough business away from Giant to calm that place down, but not so much that it starts to go down hill.
That said, Wegmans is pretty awesome. The quality and selection of fresh produce is like nothing around here. All kinds of fresh meats, cheeses, seafood, and there are humans around who can actually answer questions and make knowledgeable suggestions about the choices.
And if you are the type to spend money on lunch, they have great ‘to-go’ choices. Really good food.
Humans around that can answer questions? What an extremely novel idea. Is real service becoming fashionable again? You are dead on right about their customer service and employees, NOBLE.
Yes its a grocery store, Yes its in Abingdon, Yes I live in Box Hill South so its in my back yard. Yet Traffic concerns and crime and how you wont go there because it will be too busy is a joke.Wegmans is a great company to work for, care about their employees, the area they serve and give back. Guess What so does Paneras I was in Florida and eat at the New Paneras in the Villages and its huge it will be much nicer than the Festival restaurant. I am all for growth and options. St.Joes medical center, Crab shack joes, DSW ,Homestore all moving in in the next 12-18 months. I will spend my money local in abingdon. Thats a bad thing?
I’m thrilled that my personal life choices regarding when and where I shop amuse you.
Try the veal. I’ll be here all week.
Are you speaking English? The individual words are for the most part recognizable, yet when I string them together they don’t quite make sense…
Neuman
you may be spending it local, but the companies where you are choosing to spend are not local; the employee’s pay and the taxes they pay do stay here but the profits are not reinvested in the community and that is the difference from spending your money at ‘locally owned’ businesses.
@Residentexpert – Define for us rubes which bank is local, what local supermarket we should shop in, whether the local Aamco, Subway or McDonald’s franchisee is local or part of an evil corpocracy.
Is local Harford County only? If I live in Abingdon and shop in Havre de Grace have I betrayed the buy local screed?
Should local businesses only sell locally and not infringe on other localities?
Should we institute sectarian commerce rules? Cecil economy for Cecilians…Harford County for Harfordians and Abingdon for Abdingdonians?
Exactly. Like buying an American car made in Mexico. Or a Japanese car made in Kentucky. At some point, the whole conversation is pointless.
The only reason I even marginally subscribe to “buy local” is because I prefer to spend money and support individual enterprises, family owned, small, local, unique stores, services, and restaurants, principally because of my personal belief that the bigger something gets, the worse it gets, generally speaking.
Of course there are times when large, historic, trusted brands bring some security for the consumer, but there are trade offs in that exchange, just as there is with the ‘mom and pops’ of the world.
Bottom line, just be a conscientious consumer.
@Noble – “just be a conscientious consumer”
Spot on!
@ResidentExpert
These companies may not have their corporate headquarters here but ALL their employees are local and spend their money here. That works for me!!!!!!!!!!! If we only bought from places that are locally owned and operated we would not survive since not everything we need is available through that avenue. I am happy with companies that treat their employees and Wegmans has been in the Top 3 of Fortune 100 companies to work for years. Wegmans may not be local but they treat and pay their employees way better then the locally owned ShopRite AKA Kleins.
Actually, too often, the difference is that locally owned businesses offer you what they want to offer you and others offer you what you want. I am more than happy and actually prefer to patronize local businesses and local farms when they offer what I want at a price I want to pay.
It is great to see 520 jobs created, but the reality is that Wegmans will put some companies out of business. It would be interesting to see the “net” job results going into the future.
Was already done. Weiss went out of buisness. It is how the free market works!
Weis going out of business had nothing to do with Wegmans they had a tough time competing with Wal-Mart, Target and BJ’s. As for putting others out of business, who would that be? The grocery stores here are pretty stable and have their own customer base. Besides what it will do is make the other stores step it up a notch!!!
Exactly freemarket….if you can’t compete…..close!
I think for most people in the area Weiss was already the last choice grocery. That place seemed to be pulling up the rear for some time.
I think it would have stayed if not for Wegman’s opening, which was the final nail in the coffin.
But that’s the marketplace.
I don’t recall if that Weis closed before or after the new Wegmans was announced; but I think it’s generally known that that particular store had become bottom of the barrel by the time it closed. It looked old and unkempt; and the last time I was in there, I don’t recall a real significant level of customer service. That alone is going to step up a few orders of magnitude when the Wegmans opens.
Weis did not go out of business. They simply closed one of their 165 stores. They’ll do just fine without that one.
Phil Dirt,
Oh, good. I was so worried about them. Not.
I love Weis’ Bel Air store. Aesthetically, it’s far better than the Abingdon location was, and usually has the best selection and prices. I suspect this will change when Wegman’s opens, but I may avoid Wegmans for at least the first few weekends because of the inevitable mobs that will be there.
The net benefit is going to be to the employee. I can assure you that working for Wegman’s is going to be better than almost any other grocer retailer in the area.
As long as total jobs aren’t lost, which I doubt, everybody wins.
Noble, not sure how you deduct that, I hear that of the 500 + some hired about 350 are part time. To me, that usually means no benefits. Although they will have jobs.
@FIRSTNAME.LASTNAME Wegman’s part-time employees working more than 24 hours per week are eligible for single coverage healthcare.
Correct. Wegman’s takes better care of their part-time employees than some companies do of their full-time or quas full time employees (32 hours a week, no benefits some places).
Yes it’s a lot of part time jobs, but when you consider the ratio of part time to full time for anyone in the retail sector, it’s compariable if not better.
This store opening is a win for the community. It will bring jobs, economic activity and create other positions to manage the shopping center as well as the shot in the arm that building and construction already provided. This now developed area is within the development envelope and does not affect our rural areas in the least. Wegman’s may also bring in shoppers from other areas and will probably lower prices from Giant, ShopRite and Weiss just to keep their clientele. Wegman’s also has a good reputation for high quality, competitive prices and they give their employees better than average wages/benefits for their industry. Clearly, the Obama stimulus pays off here as funds were used to expand the intersection and made the area attractive for business to invest their capital. Score one for hope and govt intervention.
I wouldn’t go that far. The plans for the development and the intersection improvements were laid long before the stimulus showed up, so it was all going to happen regardless.
Further, has anyone else noticed that after they ripped up the entire street, paved it, and painted it, they are now going back and ripping up about half of it again to finish the turn lanes at Trellis? So they are going to have to re-pave and re-paint about half of the road that was just paved and painted about 6 months ago.
Brilliant.
Score one for a great company recognizing an opportunity to provide goods and services that are not being provided by the exisitng businesses. Government intervention had nothing to do with it as has been documented elsewhere on this site.
Noble-the fact still remains that stimulus funds paid for the intersection and any development after that can be partially at least attributed to the stimulus. The stimulus paid for the intersection which then allowed the state to fund other projects with state funds.
Provide a source please.
Absolutely not true, Frankly. Stimulus funds did not pay for the intersection.
The only truly shovel ready projects that Obama could have anything to do with were Senators Byrd and Kennedy.
and your political career.
Wrong Frankly;
The 24/I-95 intersection was begun long before any federal “stimulus” money was addressed. The Wegman’s project also has absolutely nothing to do with stimulus money. Sorry but Barry and his boys can’t take credit for much of anything in Harford County.
There is no comparison between Klein’s and Wegmans: Klein’s patriarch insists on employees selling 3 day old seafood to the customers; and if a customer brings back rotten meat, they will repackage the meat and sell it again. You might see Marshall Klein bagging groceries at one of their stores in his white oxford shirt to make it look like a family owned store still. Do you know how much the Klein brothers paid to jouin the Shop-Rite buying co-op according to one source in the know? 5 million dollars. thats right , just to sell private label garbage. what is the name of that Klein brother who is very effeminate and acts gay all the time?
“acts gay all the time”?
Nice, real nice. Now we know how much to value your opinions in the rest of the post.
Dude, instead of hiding behind your p*ssy cloak of anonymity, why not post your real name so the libel suit can start right now?