Newton Citizen

COVINGTON -- Walmart has filled 282 positions for its new store on Salem Road, which will open March 14.

About 250 of those hired are new associates, and the remainder are transfers, said Store Manager Ron Tillman. Approximately 90 percent of those hired are Newton residents, he said.

Most full-time positions have been filled, but a few manager slots and part-time positions are still open, he said.

A hiring center located at Prospect United Methodist Church at 6752 Ga. Highway 212 will remain for another two weeks, Tillman said. The center is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Though most positions are filled, there's always the chance that a hire might find work elsewhere or back out, so anyone interested is still encouraged to get an application on file, he said.

Interest in jobs "has been very heightened, very positive," he added. Lines have dwindled of late, however, as positions have been filled, he said.

To streamline the application process, applicants are encouraged to fill out an application at walmart.com ahead of visiting the hiring center. The online application can be accessed by hiring center employees. Applications can also be submitted at kiosks found inside any Walmart store.

The 170,000-square-foot store will include a food center with a bakery, deli, a Subway, hair salon and optical center. The store is expected to generate up to $1.5 million in sales and property taxes annually. This is Newton's second Walmart Supercenter; another is located on Industrial Blvd. in Covington city limits.