Mariano's hiring hundreds in Vernon Hills
An old Gregg's Landing sales trailer off Greg's Parkway in Vernon Hills is expected again see a lot of traffic but it won't be for homebuyers.
With the subdivision built out, the trailer subsequently served as a construction headquarters for a nearby Lowe's store. Soon the utilities will be turned back on and the trailer spruced up as a hiring office for the latest arrival to the commercial area on Milwaukee Avenue.
Construction of a $6 million Mariano's Fresh Market is moving smoothly and a mid-June grand opening is planned. It will be the Milwaukee-based food retailer's second Illinois store.
“The concrete work inside the building for all intents and purposes is done, which is a huge step for them,” said John Kalmar, assistant village manager.
That puts the focus on finishing the interior and finding employees, and there is expected to be a bumper crop from which the food retailer can choose.
About 400 people will be employed at the Vernon Hills store, with 300 of them new hires, according to Vivian King, director of public affairs for Roundy's Supermarkets Inc., the parent company.
About 100 employees will be promoted and transferred from Mariano's in Arlington Heights, which opened last summer as the company's first Illinois store. Another 100 will be hired to replace those who transfer, King said, for a total of 400 new hires.
Spots that need filling range from assistant manager to various department managers to cashier as well as more specialized positions like sous chef and barista. Both full and part time spots will be filled, though King did not have a breakdown.
“You name it. Everybody to work in every department of the store,” she said.
Newspaper ads began running recently and links have been available on the company's website and Facebook page. King said there has been considerable interest, but she didn't have a number on applicants so far.
Applicants will be interviewed by phone first with in-person interviews scheduled at the trailer in Vernon Hills, likely beginning next week.
“What it really reflects more than anything is the confidence these retailers have in Lake County,” said Steve Anderson, president of Lake County Partners, the county's economic development agency.
The jobless rate in Lake County was 10.7 percent for February compared to 13 percent in February 2010.
Aside from gaining jobs, the village has a vested interest in how Mariano's performs.
To lure the store, Vernon Hills agreed to rebate up to $1.5 million in sales tax over 15 years in a deal with Bradford Real Estate, the developer of the Shoppes of Gregg's Landing where Mariano's is being built. The agreement is based on estimated annual sales of $25 million.
Mariano's, named for Roundy's CEO and former Dominick's chief Bob Mariano, is a new brand for the company, which employs about 17,000 and lists annual sales of more than $4 billion. Roundy's operates Pick 'n Save and Copps Food Centers in Wisconsin and Rainbow Foods in Minnesota.
A third location in downtown Chicago is expected to open this year and the company has plans to open at least a dozen stores in the next three years, King said.
Mariano's combines the offerings of traditional and specialty markets, with an emphasis on fresh produce.
The 70,000-square-foot Vernon Hills store will be “very similar' to that in Arlington Heights, King said.
“They're finalizing the store plan. They tinker with that to the very end,” she added.