Meijer employee Sierra Taylor of Austintown checks the inventory of apples at the new Meijer store in Boardman...by R. Michael Semple

BOARDMAN — When Meijer announced it was coming to Boardman in 2018, the big-box chain store aimed to hire about 250 employees upon its grand opening.

Fast forward to present-day, and the company has hired more than 320 employees ahead of its 6 a.m. Thursday opening.

“We saw a lot of good, talented individuals” during the hiring process, said Dessie Szklany, store director.

Meijer invested about $20 million into a 159,000-square-foot store.

In the months leading up to the store’s opening, the Mahoning Valley has been buzzing with curiosity.

“We’re hearing that people are ready to check it out,” Szklany said. People have been driving to the store to catch glimpses of what it’s about, she said.

Each Meijer location has its own local spin. In Boardman, that includes teaming up with local businesses for produce and meat, donating to local charities and a large board with historic, local photos.

“With Gia Russa’s, we knew we needed to do a large variety,” Szklany said.”We’re looking at what the customer wants in Boardman,” Szklany said.

Each store has a community-centric approach and atmosphere, Szklany said.

Referring to a board with a collage of black-and-white pictures, Szklany said there is nostalgia.

“These are the kinds of things I think that are important for (employees), and for customers,” she said.

The Boardman Meijer will also team up with surrounding school districts to offer attire.

While reaching out to residents, Szklany said she was also stopped often when she wore Meijer garb, usually opening the door for conversation about what the area wants in terms of produce.

One of the best representatives, however, came in the form of the employees.

Szklany began forming the leadership for the store in November. That’s when she began diving into which brands the local Meijer should carry.

Keeping in sync with the local theme, Meijer supports local charities through its Simply Give program, a partnership with local food pantries.

The first recipient will be God’s Warehouse, Inc.

Designated gift cards will be on display with the charity supported by sales for a set amount of time, Szklany said.

There will be a double-match program, meaning for every $10 purchased, Meijer will donate $20.

Last week, Meijer went around the Valley to gift $10,000 each to: Second Harvest Foodbank of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, Inspiring Minds and the Rescue Mission.

Those relationships were built largely after having guidance from employees, Szklany said.

“I think it’s important for us to give back to our customers that are shopping” at the store, she said.

Meijer will seek out charities, but nonprofits are also able to contact the store, Szklany said.

The team didn’t experience any real obstacles preparing for the big open, Szklany said. The company has a strong system for store openings.

“I think finding local items customers want, what the need is,” were initially puzzling, but Szklany said almost immediately, people began telling the Meijer team what is needed in the area.

One feature setting the store aside from others is a Shop and Scan section.

Using the company’s app on a phone, a customer can scan items while they shop, then go to the designated area and check out.

The technology was used more than 100 million times last year in Meijer stores around the country, Szklany said.

That option sets Meijer aside from other retailers, with Joseph Hirschmugl, external communications manager, noting, “We’ve been recognized for this,” adding there isn’t another store in the surrounding area with that technology.

Plans for a gas station are in the planning stage, with construction details to be released at a later date, the communications team said Tuesday.

Earlier this year, Meijer purchased vacant land less than a mile east from the new store, on the corner of U.S. Route 224 and Parkside Drive.

The news came after Boardman trustees unanimously voted against a proposed gas station near the corner of Lockwood Boulevard and Tippecanoe Road.

An Austintown location is also in the infancy planning stages, with information to be released as details develop.

Beginning Thursday, Meijer will be open 6 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

afox@vindy.com