By Fred Guarino
The Lowndes Signal

Family Dollar held its official grand opening in Hayneville at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19 with Ken Keever, store manager trainer, Hayneville Store Manager Shelby Stringer and Hayneville Mayor Kelvin J. Lawrence welcoming customers.

Annie B. Washington of Hayneville was the first prizewinner of the day. She received a CD Boom Box.

Stringer, the new store manager, makes her home in Tyler now, but is a product of Lowndes County. She graduated from Central High School in 1983 and attended Alabama State and Auburn University.

“I think it’s a great opportunity, and I see room for growth here,” Stringer said. “It’s already growing here in Lowndes County.” She also called the new store “something that we need.”

Lawrence said, “I think it’s another tremendous opportunity to the citizens of Hayneville. And what we’ve been trying to do is improve the lives of the citizens of Hayneville one project at a time, one business at a time.”

He said the new store is “another step toward achieving that goal” and “a boost for the economic environment here in Hayneville, as well as it gives the citizens another option as far a variety of shopping.”

Lawrence said he felt Family Dollar would be a positive partner in the community and help with civic organizations.

As to the tax revenue from new businesses, Lawrence said. “This is our foundation for building city like we want it, needed tax revenue and that will help provide better services such as helping with our streets and certain different other parts of the city.”

Cliff Cermak, community affairs specialist for Family Dollar headquartered in Matthews, N.C., said the store would employee eight to 10 team members.

He also said the store would sell wide variety of national name brand and quality private brand merchandise.

Cermak said, “We have a great assortment of food… refrigerated and frozen… health and beauty aids, household products, apparel, and at this time of year… a great assortment of holiday merchandise, toys, wrapping paper, great gift ideas for family members, friends and so on.”

Cermak said Family Dollar has more than 8,000 stores since October in 46 states and employs more than 55,000 people in the organization including the stores, 11 distribution centers and a store support center.

“We provide customers with value and convenience in easy to shop neighborhood locations,” he said. He also said because of the smaller size format of the stores, they could be located closer to where people live.

“We are excited to bring our brand of value and convenience to the folks in Hayneville,” Cermak said.