October 31, 2012
Vol 14
July 13, 2011
No 44
Vol 13 No 28
The new store is located behind Wal-Mart just off of the Wentzville Parkway.
Wentzville Welcomes Sam’s Club By Shelly A. Schneider
IN this Issue
Sam’s Club Manager Steven Johnson has lived in Wentzville for the past eight years. On Tuesday, October 30, he officially opened the new Wentzville Sam’s Club. Prior to this club, Johnson managed the Chesterfield Sam’s Club. “A lot of managers wanted this store,” Johnson said. “It’s a great opportunity. You get to pick your own associates and build your own team…that’s something we all want.” The brand new facility even has a brand new break room that no one else in the company has. “When I started there was maybe a 19” television sitting on top of a refrigerator somewhere,” Johnson said. “Here we have a huge Viking refrigerator, two microwaves, and a big freezer. We also wanted a personalized area for the associates, so there are two chairs and a nice couch with a 60-inch television. We also provide the associates with two laptops with WiFi so they can check their personal emails during their breaks. The associates were all charged with blitzing the community and selling memberships. Johnson said the Wentzville club has led all other new clubs in the country with membership sign-ups. “The associates wanted an Xbox to be a part of the lounge area,” he said. “I initially said no to that. We found a guy with an actual arcade-style video game. It looks like a Ms. Pac Man machine, but it has 60 arcade games, including Donkey Kong, Frogger, etc. We talked about making it a quarter and then donating the proceeds. There will be a plaque on the machine, dedicated to the associates who went out and blitzed the market, including associates who came in from other area Sam’s Club stores.” Johnson said his initial goal after moving to take charge of the Chesterfield club was to eventually get back to his family in the Kansas City area. Johnson and his
Photo by Ray Rockwell
wife have three children and one on the way. They have fallen in love with the city of Wentzville, and have no plans to leave. “My wife fell in love with the community, and it was so special for me to get this club,” he said. “My family goes to the Holiday Night Lights and to Wabash Days; my kids are in the Wentzville School District. We already had close ties to the community.” There was no way, Johnson said, that he could open the new Sam’s Club on his own. “That’s the most humbling part about this,” he said. “Everyone has done so much for us. I think the Rotarians are more excited than I am about the opening of the club. The associates that we’ve hired have blown me away. I’m just humbled by everything…the community, the home office, etc.” Tony Mathews, president and CEO of the Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce, said Wentzville is happy to welcome Sam’s Club to the community. “I think we’ve seen such overwhelming support for them in the area,” Mathews
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8 Lincoln County Life . . . . . . . . . . . 9 School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
said. “A lot of people are excited to have Sam’s Club here. It will drive a lot of business into the city, because it represents destination shopping. People will shop at the other Wentzville stores, and so it will be good for the whole business community, especially during the holiday
season.” Each Sam’s Club is tailored to its community. Johnson said he’s proud to work with local businesses by carrying their products. See SAM’S CLUB page 2
MOVIE PEEK
Learn & Play / Pet Adoptions . . . . Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joe Morice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Shelly Schneider / Recipe . . . . . .
See MOVIE page 15
“Cloud Atlas” - Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images
14 15 16 17
Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23
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