By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

VERBENA— Construction work has begun for a Dollar General on Highway 31.

Dollar General spokesperson Crystal Ghassemi said the work began Sunday.

The store is expected to open in the summer of 2017.

“This is not our traditional store. It is actually going to be a DG Plus,” Ghassemi said.

The major difference is in the size. This Verbenea store will be 8,500 square feet. Ghassemi said the larger floor plan provides space for a refrigerated and frozen food area. The store will also carry other items not found in smaller Dollar General stores.

The exterior of the store will feature the same design and color scheme of other Dollar General stores.

Dollar General Corporate began researching a Verbena site earlier this year.

Ghassemi said there are a number of factors that go into determining where to locate a store. Some of these include traffic, needs of the community and economic climate. She said the store under construction would be a “great opportunity for Chilton County.”

The company has stayed true to its roots in locating many stores in rural communities, Ghassemi said

Dollar General was founded in Scottsville, Kentucky in 1939. Now, “70 percent of our stores serve populations of 20,000 or less,” Ghassemi said. She said since the company began in a rural area it is familiar with the challenges to locating in these areas.

The Verbena store is one of 1,000 stores scheduled to open in 2017. This is up from the 900 stores projected to open in 2016.

“Our whole business is built on quality and convenience,” Ghassemi said.

While the staff size of each store is different, Ghassemi said a Dollar General store typically employs six to 10 people with at least three of these positions being full-time.