THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 8, 1994 TAG: 9406080453
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: 940608 LENGTH: NORFOLK
The festivities will be held at the charity's ``superstore'' at 900 Tidewater Drive, which opened Jan. 31.
{REST} Goodwill spent $600,000 on the move, including the purchase and renovation of the building, after selling its former location at 431 E. Brambleton Ave., to First Baptist Church.
Advantages of the new facility, said John K. Morgan III, executive director, include:
Greater visibility near Tidewater Drive and Virginia Beach Boulevard.
The availability of customer parking and bus lines.
A better layout for selling used clothing and furniture and for training people with disabilities.
``We're really trying to dress up our retail program,'' Morgan said. ``This store is smaller than the other location, but we're doing a higher volume of business.''
The retail area at the new store totals 6,000 square feet while the former facility had more than 9,000 square feet for merchandise.
Retail sales for February through April were 36.7 percent over the same period last year, Morgan said.
Last year, Goodwill of Hampton Roads trained or employed 226 disabled people, including 53 who were placed in private employment at an average hourly wage of $5.23.
Today's ceremony will include speeches by Leah Stith, special assistant to Lt. Gov. Donald Beyer; Cecil McFarland, the No. 2 man in Goodwill's national organization, and Norfolk Mayor Mason C. Andrews.
Music will be provided by the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind Band. Door prizes and give-aways of gift certificates will continue through Saturday.
by CNB