FOUNTAIN VALLEY : Wal-Mart to Give City $5,000 Grant

The Wal-Mart Foundation has agreed to award the city $5,000 to help create jobs and news business.

“Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is proud to make this contribution as a commitment to help improve the economy in the Fountain Valley area by promoting job creation,” said David Glass, president and chief executive officer of the discount retail chain.

Donald L. Heinbuch, administrative services manager, said the city has received half the money and will get the rest within a year.

Mayor John J. Collins said the city is pleased to receive the money, which will strengthen the relationship between business and government.

“Today’s government has to be a partnership with business,” Collins said. Wal-Mart “has stepped to the responsibility of helping to make a better community.”

Heinbuch said the city will use the money to develop a flyer that promotes its city services in order to boost local industrial development.

“We’ll use it like a business development tool to show people that Fountain Valley has quality services and is a customer-oriented type of operation,” Heinbuch said.

“If any businesses want to relocate to the city, this would be an incentive (for them to) choose Fountain Valley over another location based on the services we can provide them.”

Wal-Mart Stores has one store in Fountain Valley, Sam’s Club, at 17099 Brookhurst St.

The discount retail chain has allocated more than $2 million annually in industrial development funding to attract new industry to its trade territory and to encourage existing businesses to expand their operations.