Is this a message?
Aug 25th, 2009 by David Anderson
It is interesting that the Governor attended an opening to a chain which already has Delaware stores. Is this a message to Walgreen’s?
Governor Markell Welcomes CVS/Pharmacy to New Castle County
Store Hires 25 Delawareans and will be One of Several New Stores to Open and Hire
Wilmington – Today, Governor Jack Markell joined Delaware Economic Development director Alan Levin and local and company officials to the Grand Opening of the CVS/pharmacy at 1005 Delaware Avenue in Wilmington. This store is the only CVS to be located in New Castle County. The company also has a store in Rehoboth Beach.
“I want to congratulate CVS on their expansion in Delaware,” said Governor Markell. “Creating new and retaining existing jobs in Delaware is critical to moving our economy forward. I have said that we can make Delaware the best place in the nation to not only start, but grow a business and CVS is taking that idea seriously.”
The 13,000 sq. ft. store, which will employee approximately 25 people, features a full-service pharmacy, a complete line of health and beauty products, general merchandise and convenience food items.
“We are very pleased to be opening a new CVS/pharmacy in Wilmington,” said Hanley Wheeler, Senior Vice President of CVS/pharmacy. “We look forward to opening more stores in Delaware in the near future.”
At the grand opening, CVS/pharmacy made a $5,000 donation to the Food Bank of Delaware in support of their Backpack Program. This program provides food to at-need children on weekends and holidays when school meal programs are not available.
I don’t see any hidden message. It is interesting, though, that the CVS chain is still party to the lawsuit against the State of Delaware on the legality of the changes in Medicaid reimbursements, while Walgreen’s is not. Ironic, no?
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20090813/BUSINESS/908130319
Looks like that lawsuit was dropped this afternoon.
Right, Dave A. was out of the loop, I guess. Walgreens signed on with Markell a week ago or so. And as LG said, (and what Dave was seemingly confused about) the ongoing lawsuit representing pharmacies was finally dropped (it’s in today’s WNJ).
If Markell was sending a message to anyone, it was the big pharma lobby and it looks as if, yes, they were listening.
the message is: this is the best “jobs” photo op the Econ Dev department could come up with.