Texas Border Business
Sales on opening day for the new Sam’s Club in Harlingen quickly exceeded expectations after the ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, March 24, according to company officials.
“It’s another great day for Harlingen. The City of Harlingen worked long and hard to bring Sam’s Club here,” Mayor Chris Boswell said Thursday morning as he and City Manager Carlos Yerena toured the store. “It’s exciting to watch all this economic development in this surrounding area, including the Cracker Barrel restaurant and Residence Inn hotel under construction next to Bass Pro Shops.”
The city understands the importance of boosting shopping opportunities for consumers, Boswell said, plus the new Sam’s Club will create more jobs and add to sales tax revenue.
“The City of Harlingen is ‘open for business’ as evidenced by the fact that we led all Rio Grande Valley cities in 2013 for the most commercial and residential building permits,” Yerena said. “This includes the fact that we led the Valley’s cities in 2013 with more than $134 million in valuation for new commercial building projects. We cater to business growth whether it’s a small business or a large company.”
The city worked diligently on the Sam’s Club project for several years to help make the store a reality. “The city injected valuable infrastructure improvements to entice Sam’s to locate in our community. In doing so, the city partnered with the Harlingen Economic Development Corporation and Reyna Family Development Ltd. of Weslaco,” Yerena explained.
Linda T. Burke, chairperson of the Harlingen Area Chamber of Commerce, expressed the mood for many at the grand opening. “Our city is growing in a very positive direction. As new businesses see an environment that is productive, exciting, fun and business friendly, they will want to become a part of it,” she said. “This city has the momentum and drive to expand in many areas.”
Sam’s Club Market Manager Stephen Chadwick said that Sam’s Club has monitored the population growth and economic development in South Texas for the past 20 years after it built a store in Brownsville, where it’s building another new store. “Harlingen is a perfect location for this new store,” he said, “because Harlingen is a part of this growth.”
The grand opening for the shopping center at the intersection of Interstate 69 and Interstate 2 in Harlingen took on the appearance of a community celebration for many of the employees, city officials and residents. The 136,000-square-foot facility employs more than 180 associates.
At a ceremony Wednesday, Club Manager Gabby Goodwin presented four checks – worth $5,000 apiece – to the Harlingen Humane Society, the Loaves & Fishes homeless shelter, Treasure Hills Elementary School, and Sunny Glen Children’s Home. Sam’s Club associates chose the organizations to receive the funds.
Chadwick said that community service is part of the Sam’s Club culture and associates from the new Harlingen store already have provided 172 hours of volunteer work for community activities. “We’re heavily invested in Harlingen. … and we want to help its citizens improve the quality of their lives. We have a responsibility to give back to the community because business isn’t just about dollars,” he said.
Boswell said that Sam’s Club symbolizes the type of public-private partnership the city seeks for economic development. “We’re proud of the community support for local businesses,” he concluded, “and we appreciate businesses that actively participate in building a promising future for Harlingen.”
