An unexpected change of location did not stop over 130 students and faculty from attending a Wal-Mart Management Team panel discussion at 6 p.m.Wednesday.

About 15 Wal-Mart Stores Inc. managers and executives discussed employment opportunities and gave a presentation, “What You Do Not Know About Wal-Mart.”

The event was scheduled to take place in Lumpkin Hall Auditorium, but after a power outage that occurred around 3 p.m., the event was forced to move to Buzzard Hall Auditorium.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is the world’s largest retailer gaining $405 billion dollars in revenue last year. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is also the largest overall employer in the U.S. According to Forbes magazine, it was also named one of the top 100 corporations for business executives to work.

A few managers on the panel started their career at Walmart as associates and worked their way up the managerial line.

Randy Rock, the store manager of Walmart in Charleston, worked for Walmart for 15 years before becoming the store manager 10 years ago.

Rock said Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offers job opportunities for all majors, not just business majors.

A store manager approximately makes $150,000, a shift manger makes $95,000, and assistant manager $60,000 per year.

The presentation also discussed the corporation’s future plans over the next five years to add 10 stores in the Chicagoland area, offering over 12,000 jobs.

Braxton Barber, a post bachelor management major, asked the panel if they felt that Walmart caused smaller businesses to close.

Shana Bailey, an Eastern alumna and director of operations at Wal-Mart Stores Inc., said the new Walmarts will not put people out of business.

Bailey said Walmart is a central location where other businesses want to be around.

Bailey thinks it’s the total opposite; Wal-Mart Stores Inc. creates jobs, not destroys them.

“We just want to go in and help and serve our customers,” Bailey said.

Barber said he is not sure if he believes Bailey.

“I’m still a little skeptical,” he said. “That could just be good P.R.”

Barber, from Chicago, worries that once these new Wal-Mart’s are built in Chicago and other neighborhoods, many small businesses will be forced to close.

Barber said he knows small business owners and they fear their businesses may be in trouble once Walmart opens.

Once the panel discussion ended, students were allowed to go over their resumes with the managers. Rock said he hopes Wal-Mart Store Inc.’s commitment to community will help break any negative views of the multibillion-dollar cooperation.

Zinika Livingston can be reached at 581-7943 or zclivingston@eiu.edu..

Shana Bailey, a director of operations for Wal-Mart Stores Inc., speaks to Brandon Edwards a senior accounting major after a panel Bailey and others spoke to students about job opportunities at Walmart stores Wednesday in Buzzard Hall. (Danny Damiani

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