Williams Company Builds Goodwill's First ‘Made in America’ Retail Store, Job Connection Center

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando-based Williams Company Building Division recently completed Goodwill Industries of Central Florida's first “Made in America” retail store and Job Connection Center, which opened April 18 in Clermont, Fla.   Borne of a shared vision of building a facility with 100 percent U.S.-made materials, and consistent with Goodwill's mission of “Building Lives That Work,” the ambitious goal began last year when Williams" representatives and Goodwill's President William Oakley and Vice President Ken Moler pursued it in earnest. Following a carefully documented best-efforts approach, at least 98 percent of materials used for the $3-million, 22,500-square-foot project are American-made products according to Chris Rollins, Williams Company's chief operating officer. In a joint statement, Oakley and Rollins praised a dedicated team effort for achieving the first-of-its-kind project, adding, “Finding and monitoring 100 percentAmerican-made materials was challenging but we wanted to do our part in creating as many U.S. manufacturing jobs as possible.” A May 9 grand opening is planned for the new freestanding facility.

The completion and opening of the facility coincides with National Financial Literacy Month (April), Workforce Development Professionals Month (May) and Goodwill Industries Week (May 2-8). Goodwill Industries has helped people go to work since 1902, providing employment, job training and other community-based programs for people with disabilities, those who lack education or job experience and others facing challenges finding employment.

Designed by C.T. Hsu + Associates, Orlando, Fla., the new facility houses over 10,000 square feet of selling space, a processing area and a donation drop-off center, as well as a Job Connection Center providing free vocational and job placement services to job seekers. The project itself has brought jobs to about 50 people, and Goodwill added that it has served over 2,000 individuals in Lake County and locally assisted over 500 people in finding jobs.

 

Photo courtesy of Cristol Marketing Company.