Dollar General to open location in Parks Township

Parks Township is getting its first Dollar General discount store.

Kelly Shotts, project manager with Harchuck Construction in Washington Township said the new store, located at 1014 East 2nd Street, is expected to open the first week in May.

Washington Township-based Harchuck is developing the site on behalf of Dollar General Corp.

The store is expected to hire six to ten employees, said Dollar General spokesperson Angela Petkovic.

Job seekers may apply at the company website.

In an email Petkovic wrote she expects the store to open this spring, but did not provide a date.

Construction began last December on the 9,100 square-feet building made of American-made pre-engineered metal.

It will be less than two miles down the road from another new Dollar General located on State Route 66/River Road in Kiski Township.

Touted as “America’s neighborhood general store” on its website, the discount chain is known for its food, snacks, health and beauty items, housewares, basic apparel and seasonal items.

Seven existing Dollar General locations in an 8-mile radius within the Vandergrift ZIP code of 15690 are listed on the company website.

Originally founded in 1939 in Tennessee as a wholesale business, Dollar General employs more than 157,000 employees and operates more than 17,000 stores in 46 states.

A common sight in rural areas, 75 percent of Americans live within five miles of a Dollar General and each store typically serves communities with a population of 20,000 or less.

Parks Township has a population of about 2,700 residents and is located in Armstrong County.

Township supervisors did not return calls requesting comment.