Roadrunner Food Bank receives $5,000 as part of the celebration

Los Lunas, N.M., February 20, 2019 – James Garcia has been working at the Walmart Distribution Center since it opened 20 years ago, along with 32 other associates who have also been there since the beginning. The Distribution Center celebrated a milestone 20-year anniversary today with a ceremony attended by local officials, Walmart leaders, associates, and family members.

“It’s nice to live and work in a community like Los Lunas,” said Walmart Distribution Center 20-Year Associate James Garcia. “After traveling all over the world with the Air National Guard, it was great to come home and build a career right here in Los Lunas. The friendly faces and great benefits are what’ve kept me working at the Distribution Center this long. My career here has helped me support my wife, kids, and now grandkids."

The company also encourages its associates to be active in the communities they serve. 

"Walmart is a place where I could turn my job into a career while serving my community," said Randy Griego, a functional operations manager who has also been at the Los Lunas Distribution Center for 20 years. "It's a great place to build a career, I see that by the number of management positions that are filled by people who started here as hourly associates. Walmart also gives us the opportunity to give back to the community. Several dedicated associates take the time to volunteer with local charities, and the company gives me the flexibility I need to volunteer as an assistant basketball coach for the women's varsity team at Los Lunas High School.”

With over 918,000 square feet of space, the Walmart Distribution Center receives approximately 1,477,993 cases each week. The cases are then sorted and loaded onto trucks to be distributed at Walmart stores.

“Our employees make this center more than just a massive warehouse and this village means a lot to all of us,” said General Manager John Rencher. “We are committed members of the community and we’re so proud to call Los Lunas home.”

Fun Facts

The Los Lunas Walmart DC contains 400,000 cubic yards of concrete, equivalent to a 250-mile, 2-lane highway.  That’s equal to I-25 from Los Lunas to El Paso, TX!With over 918,000 square feet, the DC could hold 24 football fields, 800 tennis courts, 7 major League Baseball fields, 9,375 mid-sized cars, or approximately 10 Walmart stores.The average length of haul is 224 miles one way.  Walmart drivers travel an average of 239 million miles every month delivering food to 98 Walmart Supercenters in 3 states --New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado.When the Los Lunas DC opened, it was the furthest west expansion for the company, servicing stores as far north as Kansas and Nebraska, and as far west as Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Walmart has been a great partner with the town over the past two decades, providing good jobs for a great workforce,” said Mayor Charles Griego. “We are very proud of the distribution center and look forward to several more decades to come in our community.”

Fighting Hunger in New Mexico

Walmart and the Walmart Distribution Center are two of the top food rescue donors in New Mexico. As part of their mission to use their strengths to make a difference, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation donated 7.7 million pounds of food to New Mexico food pantries and non-profits in fiscal year 2018. The food donations and hunger relief support are part of Walmart’s overall $14 million cash and in-kind contribution to New Mexico non-profits during FY18.

Roadrunner Food Bank, one of the largest food banks in the state, received a $5,000 grant during today’s ceremony. In 2018, Walmart and Sam’s Club in New Mexico donated 6.6 million pounds of food to Roadrunner.

About Walmart in New Mexico

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, over 260 million customers and members visit our more than 11,600 stores under nearly 60 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites. In New Mexico we serve customers at 53 retail units and online through Walmart Grocery Pickup, Walmart.com and Jet.com. We are proud to employ 14,496 associates in New Mexico. Walmart supports local businesses, spending $97.3 million with New Mexico suppliers in FY18, which supported 8,673 supplier jobs.