BRADENTON, FL – On April 13, Goodwill Manasota will open its Cortez location, its newest retail store in Manatee County. Located at 3465 Cortez Road West in Bradenton (at 34th and Cortez), the location will offer 17,300 square feet of retail space, 11,300 square feet of production space, and a community room for nonprofits and community partners to use – at no charge – for meetings, programs and educational offerings.
Goodwill’s location at 5512 Manatee Avenue W. is temporarily closed while the décor is updated and inventory is brought in – the facility will become an art and bookstore, with opening slated for June. Goodwill executives are confident the Cortez location will provide not just a better shopping experience – it has nearly 9,500 more square feet of retail space than the Manatee Avenue location and a more efficient space for production – but also a significantly greater economic impact. Last year, the Manatee Avenue location brought in $1.2 million; the Cortez store is expected to generate $3 million in revenue annually.
The architect is David Bishop, vice president of Ugarte & Associates, Inc. Construction was handled by NDC Construction Company. The hours for shopping will be 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday; donations will be accepted from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday.
“The revenue from the sales of donated goods funds job training programs and support services that help people with barriers to employment to achieve and maintain economic independence and a better overall quality of life,” said Bob Rosinsky, president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota. “By opening this new store, we are adding more jobs and expect to more than double the revenue stream generated by the former Manatee Avenue location; these additional funds will support our mission of changing lives through the power of work.”
This facility will bring the total of Goodwill retail stores to 13 in its service area of Sarasota, Manatee, Desoto and Hardee counties. The Cortez store will employ 40 team members, adding 20 to Goodwill Manasota’s total workforce. The donation of unwanted items to Goodwill supports programs and services throughout the region, enabling the organization to change lives through the power of work.
For more about Goodwill Manasota, go to experiencegoodwill.org or call (941) 355-2721.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2016, Goodwill Manasota served 28,207 people, placed 755 people in jobs and assisted 240 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 40 million pounds out of the landfill. We accomplish our mission through a network of Good Neighbor Centers in Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties and our Mission Development Services (MDS) around North America. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.