Waterville Kroger Celebrates $12 Million Expansion

BY KAREN GERHARDINGER | MIRROR REPORTER — With an additional 45,000 square feet, the Waterville Kroger has changed quite a bit – adding clothing, a wine-tasting bar, a specialty cheese shop and plenty of ready-to-go food offerings. But store leader Michael Teggart said one thing won’t change. “I promise you, we’ll continue to give first-class service and continue to treat you like family and friends,” he said during a grand-opening service on January 31 at 8730 Waterville-Swanton Rd. “Customers will find the same knowledgeable associates who assisted them in the past, and we hired 86 new associates to provide an outstanding level of service in the new Marketplace store.” Sandy Draper, a 41-year Kroger employees, cut the ribbon on the 124,795-square-foot Kroger Market-place, which also features a made-to-order barbecue station, self-serve chicken station, Boar’s Head made-to-order sandwiches, hand-tossed pizza, bulk natural foods with two nut grinders, and an expanded pet section with a self-serve biscuit bar. The Waterville Kroger Marketplace now offers ClickList, Kroger’s online order service. The Little Clinic health care clinic is scheduled to open this summer. The 10-month expansion represents a $12 million investment in the local community, said vice president of operations Michael Murphy. “It’s been seven years –October 12, 2010 – since we opened in this location. We’re here today because the community continues to support our growth here.” As a commitment to the community, Kroger donated $5,000 each to three local nonprofit organizations: Impact With Hope, Nature’s Nursery and Waterville Historical Society.