City of Fargo, Georgia Demonstrates Appreciation for Dollar General

Mayor Roy Abbott Shares Gratitude and Presents Real Estate Employee with a Key to the City

When the newest Dollar General in Fargo, Georgia recently opened, the community and Mayor alike were equally excited for their newest store.

"The opening of the new Dollar General store in Fargo has been a godsend, especially with the onset of COVID," said Fargo Mayor Roy Abbott. "With this store here, the people in our community can better limit their interactions with people in high-spread areas. Even without COVID, though, it is a big boost to our local economy, since tourists visiting the State Park no longer have to buy supplies before they get here. [T]hey can get them here, now. That will help boost sales tax revenues, which is a big part of our budget.

To commemorate the store's opening, Mayor Roy Abbott presented Tom Brown (Dollar General's Senior Real Estate Manager) with a key to the city to convey appreciation for Brown's efforts to help bring Dollar General to Fargo.

"Though a small community, Fargo is located near the entrance of Stephen Foster State Park and the Okefenokee Swamp, and I believed that putting a store in Fargo exemplified our mission of Serving Others," said Brown. "So, I pressed the City to approve a new store and received numerous thank you emails and calls throughout the development and construction process. I know the importance that this store has for this wonderful community and its people."

Brown witnessed first-hand what the value of opening a store like Dollar General means to a community in need. For many years, he lived in rural areas and often struggled to find essential household items.

"In my almost 15 years at Dollar General, I have never wavered in trying to live up to our mission," said Brown. "It is not a job, but a pleasure. I vividly remember during my initial interview when I was handed a "Mission and Values" business card by the head of the real estate department. It was, in fact, a major consideration in my accepting the job offer with Dollar General. I have carried it since day one and worked to apply it to all aspects of my job, from site selection to interpersonal relationships."

Dollar General believes the addition of each new store represents positive economic impact through the creation of new jobs and availability for employees to grow meaningful careers; the affordable accessibility of name-brand and private-brand products; the availability for area nonprofits, schools and libraries to apply for Dollar General Literacy Foundation grants; and the generation of local tax revenue.

"The people are very happy with the store and I think it gets good business," added Mayor Abbott. "The employees are friendly, and the store is one of the cleanest and easiest to navigate that I have seen. I think we might have the best Dollar General around, and we're glad they came in."