IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, announced that steel framing has progressed far enough that installation of the iconic blue composite panels has begun on its future Denver-area store opening next fall in Centennial, CO. Installation of the blue panels is a construction milestone that ensures the store will open Fall 2011, and reflects the unique architectural design for which IKEA stores are known worldwide. Also, reflecting a commitment to sustainable building practices, IKEA Centennial will be the first U.S. IKEA store to integrate a geothermal system into its heating and cooling system.
“With the store’s structure significantly formed and blue paneling now going up, we definitely are on track for a grand opening next fall,” said Doug Greenholz, IKEA U.S. real estate manager. “We hope to be enclosed fully after the new year, and cannot wait to open IKEA Centennial in Fall 2011. We know there are many Denver-area customers who are excited for us to open, including more than 50,000 customers in Colorado who currently are driving great distances to shop at our stores.”
In addition to 10,000 exclusively-designed items, IKEA Centennial will present 50 room settings, three complete model home interiors, a supervised children’s play area, and a 500-seat restaurant serving Swedish specialties such as meatballs with lingonberries or salmon plates, as well as American dishes. Other family-friendly features include a ‘Children’s IKEA’ area in the showroom, baby care rooms, preferred parking and play areas throughout the store. IKEA Centennial also will offer home delivery, furniture assembly, kitchen installation and in-store consultations.
When the store opens in Fall 2011, IKEA Centennial will welcome 400 new coworkers into the IKEA family. Candidates interested in working at this employer of choice should look for all positions online at IKEA-USA.com, where they eventually will be able to apply for diverse positions available in: home furnishings sales, interior decoration, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, maintenance, goods flow, and food service. IKEA will create 500 construction jobs and generate significant tax revenue for local governments and schools.
When it opens, IKEA Centennial will be the Swedish company’s 1st store and restaurant destination in Colorado and 38th in the United States. Until the 415,000-square-foot future IKEA Centennial opens in Fall 2011, customers can shop at IKEA stores in Draper, UT and Tempe, AZ or at IKEA-USA.com.
There are currently more than 300 IKEA stores in 38 countries, including 37 in the U.S. Since its 1943 founding in Sweden, IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings company, has offered home furnishings and accessories of good design and quality at low prices so the majority of people can afford them. IKEA has been ranked in FORTUNE’s annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, Working Mother magazine’s annual list of “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” and Training magazine’s annual “Top 100” ranking of companies that excel at human capital development. TIME Magazine listed IKEA as one of the top 8 most global eco-conscious companies. IKEA incorporates sustainable efforts into day-to-day business and continuously supports initiatives that benefit children and the environment. For more information, go to IKEA-USA.com.