It was announced last week that the Publix grocery and pharmacy in Pell City will open Aug. 31.

The Florida-based company, founded in 1930, has 40 stores in the state.

The 45,400 square foot Pell City store will be the first in St. Clair County.

Three weeks ago, 863 people showed up at a job fair that was slated to begin at noon, but the interviewers started it just after 10 a.m. because hundreds of applicants were already waiting outside.

The company promotes from within as much as possible. There will be some management that will come to the store from others in the area, but there will be a significant number of hires from the county, Joe Yeazitzis, district manager for the Atlanta Division said last week.

The company employs 150,000 people in five southeastern states.

The company retains 77 percent of its sales in Florida. But in recent years, Yeazitzis said the Atlanta division has ‘sort of carried’ the company in a struggling economy.

“We take a lot of pride in that we’re involved in our communities and Pell City will be no different,” he said of the company’s charitable contributions.