Grand opening for new store is on Target
Published 1:04 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008
By Teresa Herriman
The Courier-Herald
Josh LeBlanc, manager of the new Target store in Bonney Lake, was pleased with last week's enthusiastic turn out. In two days, his staff interviewed hundreds of people who wanted to become Target employees and nearly 180 interviewees left as new hires.
At one point during the first day, LeBlanc estimated there were 150 people in line to place their applications.
"We had people show up at 6:30 a.m.," he said. The interviews were scheduled to start at 9 a.m.
"As soon as we had people show up, we opened the doors," he said.
Applicants interviewed for jobs as team members at the Target store and other shops to be located within the store, including Pizza Hut Express and One Hour Photo. The new store will also feature an expanded market area that will offer canned and frozen food items.
Those who applied were interviewed on the spot.
"I got a job in the Food Avenue," 16-year old Puyallup resident Katie Lewis said.
It was so easy, she brought her friend, Megan Valin, back to interview as well.
"I wasn't really worried about it," Valin said. "It was kind of fun actually."
Recently-hired managers and area specialists for 16 different departments in the Bonney Lake store conducted the interviews. Nearly 40 Target employees from neighboring stores also helped coordinate the event.
The new employees will start the first week of September, stocking shelves and preparing the store for the Oct. 10 grand opening.
Since the big day is so close to the holiday season, Target included seasonal employees in their recent hiring process.
"About three weeks (after the grand opening) we'll transition into our full Christmas set," LeBlanc said.
LeBlanc said the layout of the Bonney Lake store will be unlike other Target stores and include a baby area that will offer infant clothing and equipment.
Progress on the construction of the store is on schedule, LeBlanc said. Crews are currently installing check lanes, electronics and service desk counters.
"There'll be no problem on opening day," he said.
An old hat at opening a store, LeBlanc opened the Billings, Mont., Target before transferring to Boise, Idaho, where he worked for two years before his Bonney Lake assignment.
LeBlanc is confident his employer has the grand opening process down pat. After launching 110 stores a year for the last four years, "they're really good at opening stores," he said.
Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald
