Goodwill Opens Doors In Crockett March 28
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – Goodwill Central East Texas has announced the opening of their Crockett location, after several years of working towards the opening of the store. The stores are known for the low prices, wide selections, along with offering local jobs and contributing to their communities. The Crockett location is an outgrowth from the Lufkin office and operations.
Kevin Bradford runs the regional efforts and comes from a background in both private business and churches, Bradford was originally brought in to an organization struggling with its operations, public perception and financial woes. Originally from West Texas, Bradford had worked for years in Wisconsin, and the plan was for him to help out for a couple of years to try and get the ship back on track.
Falling in love with the people he worked with and assisted through Goodwill, Bradford is in his eighth year, still providing low-cost goods and upward-mobile jobs in the communities where the stores operate.
Bradford said one key to their success has been to be able to offer opportunities for employment and assistance through what he calls the “social engine.”
“Our donated goods retail program allows us to have gently used items, either household goods, textiles and clothing so we can provide our production and retail associates to have a job and get job training at our stores,” Bradford said. “The revenue provides our internal mission services, which is how we take care of our individual employees by having good wages and easy access to healthcare, free urgent care and free life insurance.”
Bradford said 50% of Goodwill’s revenue goes internally, to its associates, while the other half is directed externally, to projects in their stores’ communities.
“Externally, through programs like our commercial driver’s license training program or forklift certification program and our employability program – a full vocational rehab rehabilitation program, fully funded by our stores,” Bradford explained. “How we accomplish that is 87 cents of every dollar that comes in the organization is repurposed and focused on those mission services, with about 50% not being internal and 50% being external.”
Crockett may not be the largest city in the Goodwill network of stores Bradford handles, but locals are in for a treat, once the store opens Friday, March 28.
“The Crockett store is very exciting. It’s got some of our newer design work on the inside. and going to be beautiful. It will actually be our second largest sales floor throughout our organization here in Goodwill,” Bradford said. “We will have it filled with a lot of great products from donations we’re bringing in products from some of our other territories, just for the grand opening.”
The store does not only sell donated goods and works with retailers such as JC Penney’s, Dillard, Home Depot and others to secure new, overstocked items, many of which will be for sale in Crockett. The store will also feature outdoor gear, some new shoes and other items which will vary each time you visit the store, depending on donations and shipments from some of these retailers.
Doors open at 10 a.m. Friday, March 28 with much fanfare, including cookies and drinks, giveaways such as a razor scooter and gift cards to Mimsy’s.
“There will also be two or three hidden gift cards on items in the store and when someone finds them, they’ll be able to use that to check out that day,” Bradford said.
There are plenty of last minute details, stocking and other things to be done before then, although the familiar blue and white sign has now been installed along Crockett Loop 304. Goodwill is set to open at 1004 E. Loop 304 in Crockett, Friday, March 28.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
