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Published Thursday, April 02, 2009 in Local
Rite Aid closing 'a total shock'
By Jeff Bishop
The Times-Herald
When Darren Beckom left work at Rite Aid last fall after an eight-hour shift, he had no inkling anything was amiss.
Then he got home and checked the message on his phone. "It was my supervisor," said Beckom. "He told me not to go back to work until further notice."
Beckom said the layoff came as a complete surprise. "I left work and things were fine, I had a job, and the next thing I know, they hand me a 15-week severance," he said. Now history is repeating itself -- only this time, it's everyone who works at the Newnan Rite Aid distribution center that's out of a job.
"As a matter of fact, I just got off the phone with one of my friends who works out there," Beckom said Thursday afternoon. "It was a total shock. A total shock."
Thursday morning an assembly was called in the break room. Everyone knew something was up when Wilson Lester, senior vice president of the Rite Aid supply chain, showed up, he said.
"He's the big dog," said Beckom. "And he dropped the bomb on them." Beckom said the corporate representatives told the employees they were "not going to sugar-coat it -- they will be closing."
"So nearly 300 people are going to be out walking the street," said Beckom.
"This morning, one of my better friends from out there called. He's a supervisor," said Beckom.
Beckom now works as a Realtor for Josey, Young & Brady, and he wound up selling the Rite Aid employee a house last June. "He relocated from up north for this job, and now he calls me and he doesn't have a job anymore," said Beckom.
"It hurts me, right along with them," he said. "This recession has hit me directly inside my home. And when it hits you like that, and then it hits the people you care about the most, you really feel it."
He said the layoffs are going to come in stages, "at different times for different people."
Every employee was handed a pre-printed envelope with individualized information, he said. "So this is not something new," he said. "They knew they were closing, if they went to the trouble to print up individualized envelopes for each associate, with an individual end date for each one. Some are leaving in August, some in June, on down the line.
"This took some time and some contemplation on Rite Aid's part, to look at each individual and make that decision about when to let that individual go," he said.
Beckom said he feels renaming the Eckerd stores with the Rite Aid brand was a big mistake.
"I really do feel like, with that corporate buyout, they overextended themselves," said Beckom. "People knew Eckerd. When JC Penney bought Eckerd, they let the company keep the name. Everyone in the South knew who Eckerd was. But they put the Rite Aid name on it, and people around here just didn't know them as well as they knew Eckerd. I feel like if they had remained Eckerd, things would have turned out differently."
Beckom said the transition will be tough for many of the employees.
"Tim Lassetter, he's a county commissioner now, but that's all that man knows," said Beckom. "And I spent 15 years of my life with the company, but that didn't buy me any quarter with them."
Things sometimes have a way of working out for the best, he said. Beckom devoted his full attention to real estate just when the market began to heat up again.
"This turned out to be a good thing for me," said Beckom. "It kicked me out into reality. I needed to move on, anyway. I'm picking up listings and getting phone calls right and left. So things have a way of working out."
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How can President Obama be the reason for Rite Aid closing? He has only been in office since January 20. I don't see the connection. Rite Aid obviously had problems before this. Find a new scapepgoat,please.
Posted by Linda at 10:06 PM
He can believe whatever he wants. This is not the fault of any president. This whole ball of wax was a total group effort to destroy America. They finally did it.
Posted by Dyark at 4:56 PM
We were shocked. Although we knew our company was in trouble, we were consistently told that we would not close, downsize maybe, but not close. We were told that because of our location, no one was close enough to handle our "load", so we shouldn't worry. We heard this as recently as last week. And, we believed it. So when we were told the DC was closing it was a total shock.
Posted by Just me at 3:51 PM
I am sorry, but like many of us have said. It's beyond Newnan/Coweta County. Rite-Aid is a national drug store. It would be diffrent it it was one of the Lee Drug Stores.
Posted by DJ at 3:04 PM
The supervisor friend of mine at Rite Aid did not reveal any details to me about the severance. He only wanted me to keep him and his crew in mind if I heard of any job openings. I got the severance information from 4 other regular hourly associates. Several people called me about it. But the super is harmless.
Posted by Darren Beckom at 12:01 PM
It was a shock Ryan. Even though you know it might happen you hope it want. Please dont stop shopping there. Employes at the store need their jobs also. We will be alright it will take time.
Posted by Carol at 11:58 AM
Good thing for these people that Coweta County Business Development guru Bill Harrison has loaded this county up with so many Distribution Center Jobs. Just two weeks ago the Times Herald was bragging about how many of the great DC jobs are available in this county. None of these people should even need to get unemployment benefits! You can move from one low paying DC job to another because that is what Coweta County is all about!!
Posted by Johnson at 11:58 AM
so when did the real estate market heat up?
Posted by Chad at 11:47 AM
No one should be in "total shock" by a business closing these days. Every body should be aware that their job could be on the line. These are tough times, there is very little security in any business. Another 300 people out of work. Now that scares me. We're already having a very difficult time finding work, now there are another 300 people to compete with.
Posted by Angie at 10:57 AM
Brant - you are either very funny or not very smart.
Posted by ME at 9:46 AM
I am lost as to how these employees could find Rite Aid closing stores or a distribition center "a total shock". Had they not read how poorly their company has been doing? Are they not aware Rite Aid created trouble for itself borrowing money to buy Brooks and Eckerd? An employee who finds Rite Aid laying off employees a "total shock" is someone who doesn't read the news.
Posted by Ryan Healey at 9:28 AM
i work for eckerd about 4 years a go-and was let go when J C> Penny sold it. it has been going down hill sent it was sold to brooks best thing rite aid could is to close all it stores in newnan and leave becaues i will never buy and thing from them go cvs they got my bussins from now on!!!!!
Posted by mike l p at 9:04 AM
Obama did not do this. It was a long time comming that started BEFORE he was elected. So hush your mouth.
Posted by cynical at 7:47 AM
You show true ignorance. This company was in trouble way before Obama was ever elected. Eckerd was in trouble when Rite-Aid bought it. It was just a silly decision to have one troubled company to buy another. Remember, two wrongs don't make a right.
Posted by DJ at 7:13 AM
"This turned out to be a good thing for me," said Beckom"... we'll remember you said that. If you think real estate is going to be okay in this you are a fool. The Grim Reaper is on the loose and you don't know where he will strike next.
Posted by aware at 6:49 AM
Boycott Rite-Aid Stores. This company cares nothing about this community. It has left Newnan hanging. So let's leave them. That is what I intend to do. I will be taking my business elsewhere and I encourage you to do the same.
Posted by Debbie Kee at 5:54 AM
I have family members working there and they are out July 3rd. They were not shocked as it was expected. The oil companies and real estate people are just as much to blame as the banks. Rite-Aid should have not been allowed to buy Eckerd. The people of Newnan should boycott the local stores for this decision.
Posted by Dyark at 5:45 AM
Another job lost thank you Obama!!!!!!!
Posted by Brant Edwards at 9:58 PM
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rite aid closing
5/15/2009
Link To This Comment
the shirt they gave us a better supply chain is about to get better. well it did closing down
Posted by me at 4:39 PM