Dollar General building new store in Cromwell

Dollar General building new store in Cromwell

By Ken Childers

ONL Editor

The landscape along Highway 56 is beginning to change rapidly, as one of the largest chains of retail stores in the country builds a new store in Cromwell.

Construction of a new Dollar General Store is underway, and according to Town Clerk/Treasurer Linda Groves, the store could be open as early as June 1. The new store will be located about two blocks north of the Pentecostal Church.

“The dirt work has been done and the building materials were delivered on Monday,” Groves said. “We are very excited. This is great news for our town.”

Groves added that not only will the store be a convenience for local residents, it will be a much-needed source of tax revenue. “We have been without a police department since 2009,” she said. “This store will generate tax revenue and could help us re-open our police department in the future.”

Last month, the town took in $2,666.10 in local sales tax revenue, which was based primarily on business conducted in December. In February 2019, the amount $3,306.61. Cromwell’s local sales tax rate is .03 percent.

Dollar General Corporation is headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. The latest figures show the company operates 15,000 stores across the continental United States, including nearly 400 in Oklahoma.

The company began in 1939 as a family-owned business called J.L. Turner and Son in Scottsville, Kentucky, owned by James Luther Turner and Cal Turner. In 1955, the name changed to Dollar General Corporation and in 1968 the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Fortune 500 recognized Dollar General in 1999 and in 2018 reached #123.  Dollar General has grown to become one of the most profitable stores in the rural United States with revenue reaching around $21 billion in 2017.

Dollar General Corporation employs approximately 129,000 people and has 15 distribution centers in 14 states with two additional centers either under construction or planned. In 2004 a Dollar General office was opened in Hong Kong to oversee the global sourcing operations through exporting and importing products of Dollar General related goods.

The stores offer everyday low prices on items including food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, family apparel, housewares, seasonal items, paper products and more from leading brand names.