Goodwill to open operations center in Windcrest

Goodwill San Antonio will move its transportation, logistics and warehousing operations center to a former Walmart building on IH-35 in Windcrest.

Goodwill expects to close on the building next month and begin the process of consolidating and relocating the heart of its revenue generation, its donated goods and retail operation, to the 125,000 square-foot building that used to be a Walmart more than a decade ago.

“We are really excited about becoming part of Windcrest,” Janice Bunch, COO and president of Goodwill San Antonio, told the Windcrest City Council during its July 6 meeting.

Goodwill San Antonio serves a 24-county territory area of operations with its corporate headquarters located in downtown San Antonio.

“We have been looking for an operations center for our transportation, logistics, warehousing, for quite some time. We’ve been looking for a location that gives us good brand identity, and we believe this location will do absolutely that,” Bunch said.

Goodwill currently leases space for the transportation, logistics and warehousing operations in a business park along Eisenhauer Road just off IH-35, across from Windcrest city limits.

“Once we close (on the property), we expect to move virtually everything that we’re doing at the Eisenhauer location to this facility,” she said. “We also operate an online store out of this facility, our e-commerce division.

“We do central processing of donations in this facility, as well as operate an outlet. Our donating goods and retail operation headquarters will be in this facility,” she said.

Goodwill San Antonio has about 1,500 employees, a $46 million payroll, and realized $90 million in revenue in 2019. Half of that, she said, is generated from its donated goods and retail operation, from its 24 stores and outlets. “And that’s the division that is going to be housed at this facility,” she replied.

George Alva, Windcrest Economic Development Corporation vice president, told council Goodwill’s presence will attract consumers to the city’s IH-35 retail and eating establishments.

“Our city has waited many years to find a tenant for the former Walmart building on Interstate 35,” Alva said. “I believe it will enhance our city’s curb appeal along the IH-35 access road and encourage people to exit the expressway to check out the other businesses in our wonderful little town.”

Bunch said Goodwill currently has a retail sale store in the Windcrest area on Walzem Road, in a strip mall fronted by McDonald’s, Taco Bell and CVS Pharmacy. As such, sales from the current Eisenhauer location are rare. But Goodwill came before the Windcrest council seeking a special use permit that would allow for just such infrequent retail sales.

“We don’t typically do a lot of second-hand clothing sales out of this operation,” she said. “This outlet facility usually sells hard goods by the pound … a second and third opportunity to sell goods that have not sold in our stores.

“We rarely, but sometimes will, sell second-hand clothing out of the outlet. That’s what this special use permit request is for, to give us that opportunity should we decide to do so,” she added.

She said once Goodwill takes ownership of the building, plans will begin for its renovation and conversion. She said the organization, a nonprofit 501(c)3 operation, expects to be moved in by the close of 2021.

The location’s address is 7702 IH-35 North in Windcrest, next door to Conn’s and within walking distance of Rackspace Technology.

In opening the public hearing comments, Alva read a post from Goodwill’s website. “Goodwill works to enhance peoples’ dignity and quality of life by strengthening their communities, eliminating their barriers to opportunity, and helping them reach their full potential through learning and the power of work.

“Now,” Alva said, “Windcrest can be part of this in a big way.”

Council unanimously approved the special use permit request.