Business & Tech

Wegmans Flooded With Columbia Job Seekers

The lucky ones are starting to hear back.

Wegmans, set to , has received applications from more than seven times the number of job seekers it can hire, but those chosen are starting to get the good news, according to local sources.

Wendy Webster will be general manager of the Columbia location when it opens, and she spoke to members of the in Savage Mill on Wednesday about the economic impact the popular grocery stores have had across the Northeast.

Webster said the company received more than 7,000 applications for the 700 jobs needed for Columbia. In a sluggish economy, Wegmans is opening two locations in Maryland within the next eight months, and competition for these jobs is increasing, says Webster.

"Our recruitment here has been really great," Webster told Patch, adding that the 7,000 applications is "a little bit more" than the total for the company's last opening.

In 2011, Wegmans was listed third on the Forbes list of "100 Best Companies to Work For" and Webster told members of the HCCC that it's because employees are treated like family.

"The Wegmans family always makes sure I think about my family first," Webster said. "I'm not sure a lot of companies have that philosophy.… It builds loyalty."

According to Webster, 250 of the 700 employees at the Columbia Wegmans will work full-time.

Webster has worked for Wegmans for more than 20 years, and she comes to Columbia–the fifth store in the state–after opening the first Maryland Wegmans in Hunt Valley, in 2005.

The company is still accepting online applications for several positions at the Columbia store, according to the website, and Webster says applicants will also have job opportunities at the nearby Crofton location, which will open in October.


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