GARY KUBOTA / GKUBOTA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Ted Sells, general manager of the new Wal-Mart
on Maui, expects to see an onrush of customers
for the store's opening today.

Wal-Mart makes
Maui debut

The discount retail chain opens its
sixth -- and biggest outlet -- in Hawaii

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Star-Bulletin staff

Wal-Mart General Manager Ted Sells, standing in a nearly empty parking lot earlier this week, is expected to have his hands full today when the discount retail chain opens its first store on Maui.

The 141,892-square-foot Kahului outlet will be the largest of the six Wal-Mart stores in the state. Wal-Mart has two other outlets on Oahu, two on the Big Island and one on Kauai.

The Maui store, which will employ about 475 people, also will feature several speciality shops inside. They include a vision center, Tire & Lube Express, McDonald's, one-hour photo-processing lab, American Savings Bank branch and a portrait studio.

Wal-Mart, as part of its grand-opening ceremony today, is contributing more than $15,000 to area nonprofit organizations through its Good Works community involvement program. Among those groups in the Kahului area receiving $1,000 contributions are Juvenile Diabetes, Maui Chamber of Commerce and the Maui Special Olympics. Aloha House, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Maui Youth and Family Services will get $500 each. Last year Wal-Mart gave more than $400,000 to Hawaii community organizations.