Owasso stores hiring as construction wraps up

Thursday, August 11th 2005, 3:56 pm

By: News On 6

Help wanted signs are out in one booming Tulsa suburb. A large-scale shopping development is in the works in Owasso. Those stores are holding job fairs to hire several hundred new employees to work there.

News on 6 anchor Craig Day says at the Owasso Target job fair, applicants are taking aim at new positions with the giant retailer.

Greta Woody, Owasso Resident: "New store. New job. Cool. Sounds good. I'm ready."

Maria Willhoite drove from Claremore to Owasso to apply for a job.

Maria Willhoite, Claremore Resident "Oh I'm really excited about it. I like shopping at Target and I really would like working at it too."

Target expects to hire as many as 250 employees for its new store being built near 96th Street North and Highway 169. The positions will be a mix of full time and part time workers.

Mark Abshire, Target: "Very competitive pay and benefits package. It's gauged to the area. Target is also committed to having a fast, fun and friendly environment for our guests and our team members."

Target says about 300 people have applied in the job fair's first day and a half. Belk, the largest privately owned department store chain in the nation, is also hiring for an Owasso store.

John Graber, Belk Regional Manager: "We're looking to hire about 115 people for both full time and part time positions. So we're looking at really people who are great with selling skills and great with customer service skills."

Belk has 275 stores nationwide. This will be its first location in Oklahoma.

Both Target and Belk's are major tenants of a large shopping area under construction in Owasso. The managers for both stores are on a pretty strict deadlines to have those employees hired.

Target hopes to hire employees by the first of next week. Belk will make offers within the next week and a half. Both stores will open in October.

The Target job fair is taking place at the Owasso Community Center on Cedar Street, which is just off 76th Street North near downtown. It runs Friday and Saturday from 9AM to 6PM..

Belk is holding its career fairs at the Holiday Inn Express in Owasso this Friday and Saturday; and Thursday, Friday and Saturday of next week.