Ground Breaking Pic

So I Gets an Email From Big Joe Roth . . .

Yeah . . . me and him are good buddies (I wish . . . if we were they would have been in MB today and not Charlotte!)

Anyways . . . ground was broken today (officially) . . . but I couldn't be there . . . I had the gas money but I needed to stay close to home in case my little one got sick again (she had a tummy bug on Monday & puked all over my Stjarna Quilt).

Here's a copy of the press release the big guy sent me . . . I didn't see any other names attached to my email . . . so either it's one of those encoded generic mass emailings . . . or I'm SPECIAL (Momma always said I was).

For Immediate Release Contact: Joseph Roth, Expansion Public Affairs
April 9, 2008 (610) 834-0180, x 6500

EXPANDING ITS PRESENCE IN U.S. AND SOUTHEAST,
SWEDISH RETAILER IKEA BREAKS GROUND FOR STORE IN CHARLOTTE, NC

As construction begins, IKEA Charlotte is on track to open Spring 2009 in University City

CHARLOTTE, NC – With company representatives, local officials and community leaders on-hand,
IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today officially broke ground for its future store
in Charlotte, North Carolina. Until IKEA Charlotte opens in Spring 2009 as the 5th IKEA store in the
Southeast and 36th IKEA store in the United States, customers can shop at stores in Atlanta, GA;
and Woodbridge, VA; or at www.IKEA-USA.com. Other stores in the Southeast are located in
Orlando, FL and Sunrise, FL, with a store opening Summer 2009 in Tampa, FL.
The 356,000 square-foot IKEA Charlotte, with 1,600 parking spaces, will be built on 25 acres in
the University City area, at the northeastern corner of I-85 and City Boulevard, and will reflect the
same unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. After the store
opens, Crescent Resources will develop the surrounding 175-acre mixed-use ‘Belgate’ development.
The future IKEA Charlotte will present nearly 10,000 exclusively designed items, three model
home interiors, approximately 50 room settings, a supervised children’s play area, a 300-seat
restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries and salmon plates, as
well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features will include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the
showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store.
“We appreciate the reception given to us by officials and community leaders here. Now that
construction has begun, it is exciting to see physical progress toward the future IKEA Charlotte,”
said Michael Maier, IKEA real estate manager. “We will be bringing our unique family-friendly
shopping experience closer to more than 150,000 IKEA customers in the Carolinas who currently are
driving great distances to shop at our stores. This location also will attract new customers from
throughout the Carolinas and beyond who value good design, good function and affordable prices.”
When the store opens in Spring 2009, IKEA Charlotte will welcome 400 new coworkers into
the IKEA family. Candidates interested in working at this employer of choice should look for all
positions online at www.IKEA-USA.com, where they will be able to apply for diverse positions
available in: home furnishings sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security,
cashiers, maintenance, goods flow, receiving, warehouse and stock replenishment. Also, setting
itself apart from other retailers, IKEA Charlotte will offer approximately 60 food service
opportunities in its Restaurant, Swedish Foodmarket, Café Bistro and coworker cafeteria. IKEA has
been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list (three years in a row),
Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” (four years in
a row) and Training magazine’s annual “Top 125” ranking of companies that excel at human capital
development (five years in a row). IKEA will create 500 construction jobs and generate significant
tax revenue for local governments and schools.
There currently are more than 270 IKEA stores in 36 countries, including 34 in the United States,
where other new stores are being planned in: Brooklyn, NY; Somerville, MA; and Tampa, FL. Since its
1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA has offered a wide range of home furnishings of good design and
function, at low prices so the majority of the people can afford them. As part of this commitment to
create a better everyday life for the many people, IKEA incorporates environmentally and socially
responsible efforts into day- to-day business, strives to be an employer of choice, and continually
supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment. For information about
IKEA, and about working at IKEA, please go to www.IKEA-USA.com.
# # #

The Next Generation

"I believe the children are our future"

Come on! You know the lyrics so sing along!

This is my oldest (on the right) trying out a sofa in the Marketplace at the College Park IKEA with my bff's daughter last month.

Gotta keep the tradition rolling!