Chadron Walmart marks 20 years in community

Chadron’s Walmart store is set to celebrate its 20-year anniversary this Friday. The local outpost of America’s largest retailer opened its doors Jan. 26, 1998, and served a crowd of more than 4,000 people on the first day.

In addition to the store itself, 13 associates hired on to open the Chadron store marked 20 years with the business over the last few months of 2017.

Walmart plans to celebrate the day with a bit of a party. The store invites customers to share a piece of cake starting at 10 a.m. Friday.

To further commemorate the day, the author—a Walmart associate himself—set out to ask a cross-section of associates in the Chadron the store to reflect on how far it’s come and where it is heading.

It’s said it takes a village to raise a child. A less well-known axiom might be phrased “it takes a family to run a Walmart.”

Chadron’s Walmart—number 2,579 out of around 5,000 in the U.S.—is about half the size of its nearest neighbor stores in Scottsbluff and Rapid City, S.D. That smaller size is said to lend the store a cozier, hometown atmosphere. As well, the small surrounding towns make it more likely to happen across a familiar face.

Brenda Bump, training coordinator for Chadron’s Walmart store, begins each new hire orientation by saying “welcome to my family.” That phrase may seem unlikely to one beginning a job in corporate retail, but it’s spoken with sincerity.

“I say that because it’s true,” Bump said. “Sometimes we seem to spend more time at work than we do at home. In a smaller store like this you really get to know your fellow associates as friends and family.”

Bump sees that attitude and the atmosphere it fosters paying dividends for the associates who work in the store.

“We have awesome associates. They really care and that really sets us apart. We start out new hires with that expectation—that we care for and help one another—and it makes a huge difference,” she said.

Store Manager Adam Gardner ran several stores in his home state of Wyoming before discovering the Chadron store and the allure of its surrounding communities.

“It’s such an enviable situation here,” he said. “The family atmosphere in Chadron and between associates and our regular customers is rare in this day and age.”

The appeal was strong enough to draw him and his family back to Chadron following a short return to the Cowboy State. Gardner returned to helm the store in 2008 and has spent the majority of his 17-year career here.

“Chadron is an ideal environment to have a store; the college and surrounding rural communities provide a pool of applicants who have a good work ethic, whether it’s from their ag background or the pursuit of higher education,” Gardner said. “We’re able to employ top talent and provide the high level of service our customers deserve.”

Gardner agreed that “family” is an apt characterization for the store’s associates, but added that its customers are an extension of that family.

“One of the most appealing things about our store is the familiar faces in our customer base. We often see the same customers multiple times a week. We’re able to learn about their families, their needs, and interests as we interact with them,” he said. “And because we build these relationships it provides us with a unique opportunity to better know and accommodate their specific needs.”

Ask an associate in Chadron’s Walmart store “Why Walmart?” and you’ll get answers like these:

“My mom (who works at another Walmart) told me to.”

“I like the people; working here has brought me many friends.”

“Everyone I know shops here.”

“It pays well and the people here are fun to work with. I enjoy being here.”

“My mom works here!”

“We work together well, we all help each other out when we need to. I know I can count on my coworkers.”

“It’s way better than work-study.”

Whatever the reasons for joining, the name of the game is customer service in the Walmart family.

Nick Brooks, a sales associate in the Electronics and Photo departments said his favorite thing about Walmart is helping people.

“I love to help people, but I especially like to flip their mood,” Brooks said. “When someone comes in and they are frustrated with a cellphone or have a complicated problem getting their photos printed, it feels great to help them out and have them leave satisfied with a smile on their face.”

Brooks is at the nexus of Walmart’s traditional retail operation and its endeavors to run a hybrid online and in-person business. In his role in the electronics department, he frequently helps customers through Walmart’s Site to Store and Pickup Today processes, both of which allow orders placed online to be picked up in the store without a shipping charge. In the case of the latter program, certain items ordered online are available for same-day pickup at the store.

Gardner said the hybrid sales initiatives are changing the way customers shop at Walmart and bringing the company and the local store into a more competitive place with online retailers such as Amazon.

“The company has recently been transitioning into a business format that integrates physical stores with the advantages and convenience of online,” Gardner said. “We’re excited to continue to bring some of these enhancements to our community and further increase the assortment of items, their quality, and simplicity for our customers.”

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As Walmart strives to adapt to a changing retail landscape, so do its associates. For Dawn Wordekemper, an assistant manager, adaptation is just part of the job.

“From the beginning we’re told ‘Change is good, change makes us happy,’” she said. “When we started in this building, we had more than a month working without any customers coming through the door. So right there was a huge change in dynamic when we opened for business.”

Wordekemper has worked with Walmart for over 25 years; she transferred to Chadron from the store in Norfolk, but started with the company in Texas. In her assistant manager role she’s seen numerous associates move up to careers in the company or use their experience to start another career.

“The best part is watching associates grow, into the roles of their jobs, but as people too. Our youngest associates grow into adulthood, start families of their own, and many move on to bigger and better things. This job is a great stepping stone and a long-term career.”

One such associate who’s made a career at Chadron’s Walmart is Irv Heiser.

Heiser, who’s worked at the Chadron store since it opened, said he likes Walmart for the many different jobs to learn; the safety, security, and benefits it offers; and the many wonderful different types of people he’s gotten to work with and meet.

He has worked in different roles over the years, including cart pusher, electronics, hardware, and sporting goods. His current role is on the maintenance team.

“We keep the place looking good,” he said.

Gardner commended the efforts of Heiser and his cohorts, whose work spans each day across three separate shifts.

“We have an initiative called ‘Clean, Fast, Friendly’ with ongoing objectives to provide the highest levels of cleanliness, efficient checkouts, and a friendly shopping experience second to none,” he said.

While some locals were unsure what it would mean for Chadron when Walmart announced plans to build a store here 20 years ago, Gardner said he believes Walmart has been good for the community and a good neighbor.

In that role of good neighbor, Walmart strives to give back to its community. With money allotted through the Walmart Foundation, Chadron’s store provided $22,000 in grants to area schools, community organizations, and charities over the last three years. During that same period, the store donated more than $100,000 in food to local food banks and helped raise more than $25,000 for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Amid all the changes the store has seen in the last 10 years, Gardner said participating in the store’s surrounding communities through grants, donations, and volunteerism are things he doesn’t see going away anytime soon. Those qualities along with the initiatives to maintain the store’s friendly, top-quality shopping experience he said, will keep the store relevant and competitive for customers locally and online.

“We strive as a store to be a good neighbor in our local community, to never become complacent simply because we’re big,” Gardner said. “We are committed to be the best.”

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