Daniel Thurman, store manager
Kroger opened its 93,000 square-foot grocery store in Smyrna Jan. 22, adding some 100 new jobs and anchoring the redevelopment of the Four Corners area of the city.
Hundreds of people filled the parking lot for a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring the Campbell high school drum line, speeches from elected officials and Kroger officials and donations to Kroger’s five schools that are Partners in Education.
“Current and new Smyrna Kroger associates have been looking forward to this day and the opportunity to get further acquainted with our customers,” said Daniel Thurman, manager of the Smyrna Kroger.
“Our existing South Cobb Drive Kroger store served the Smyrna community for 28 years,” says Glynn Jenkins, director of communications and public relations for Kroger’s Atlanta Division. “We are proud to open this new location – and bring new jobs to the community – as we continue to serve our loyal customers with more convenient amenities, like the Kroger Fuel Center.”
Thurman, the new store manager, is a 12 year veteran of Kroger and took over the Smyrna grocery store about three weeks ago. His father, Randy, now a manager in Dallas, opened the Kroger store in Smyrna in 1983. “Daniel grew up in the grocery store,” Randy Thurman said.
The new Kroger is the anchor store in the crossings development at South Cobb Drive and Concord road and has been in development for nearly six years, according to Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon .
“We are proud that your company has decided to invest in this property,” Bacon said. “We look forward to the redevelopment of other properties at the Four Corners.”
Bacon thanked Rep. Rich Golick, former Rep. Don Wix and Sen. Doug Stoner for their work with the Department of Transportation to get a traffic light and road improvements for the development.
“This is going to be great for this area and be a boost for the other three corners. We’re excited about it,” Bacon said. “Who would’ve thought in this economy that you would see a giant Kroger built in Smyrna.”
Kroger executive Horace Hamilton said.” It’s a great day to be in Smyrna.” He called the $17 million investment a “state-of-the-art store.”
The new grocery store features a fuel center, Starbucks coffee bar, expanded deli/bakery department, bistro and in-store dining, soup and salad bar, and expanded meat/seafood department, floral department, natural foods department, a drive-through pharmacy and even a branch of Fifth Third Bank.
From the February 2012 issue of The Bright Side, Cobb County Georgia’s Newspaper covering Smyrna, Vinings, Mableton and Austell, GA.
