NEARLY 120 new jobs arrived in Torquay this week with the opening of the region’s newest Coles store.
The company said almost 100 of the staff were new to Coles, with the rest coming from the company’s other stores.
Construction of the supermarket also provided work for local tradies in everything from excavation through to flooring and fire services, Coles said.
Store manager Darren Grootveld, who relocated from Coles Colac, was delighted with his new workplace and teammates.
“Our team is really looking forward to serving local customers in the community and we’re delighted that local trades in the area have been so involved in making the store what it is today.”
Mr Grootveld also praised his employer for introducing itself to the town with donations of $1000 each to Torquay Football Club and Jan Juc’s lifesavers.
The new Coles offers a full line of supermarket products as well as Torquay’s first retail underground parking.
The Torquay store has continued the rollout of Coles supermarkets across the region.
The company last year announced $100-million plans for five new supermarkets around the region, including Torquay. The stores would create 800 jobs, Coles said at the time.
Coles has become one of the region’s biggest employers, overtaking companies such as Ford and Alcoa before they wound down operations in Geelong.
