Adcock leaving Somerset Wal-Mart for corporate job

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March 13, 2008

By SUSAN WHEELDON, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Thu Mar 13, 2008, 07:44 PM EDT

Somerset — A community member who has been leading one of the largest stores in Pulaski County and whose name has become synonymous with community service in the Pulaski County area is leaving.

Allen Adcock, general manager of Wal-Mart since July 2003, will serve his last day today, before going to Indianapolis to begin serving as regional operations and merchandising director for Southern Indiana and all of Kentucky.

As employees gave Adcock a going away party yesterday morning, he was almost speechless.

“He’s been a great leader and taught us a lot,” said Marnita Smith, electronics department manager, following the party. “He’s really showed us how to share with the community.”

Benton Nunemaker, co-manager of general merchandising at the store, describes Adcock as his mentor and friend.

“For me he’s a mentor. He knows how to run a business and be professional,” said Nunemaker. “He’s the best friend a person could have.”

And as far as being involved in the community projects, as recently as helping God’s Food Pantry put up shelving for its new building and helping the library in its move, Nenemaker said Adcock is the driving force.

Adcock and his wife, Anne, told those present yesterday that ultimately the decision was about doing what was right for their family and that the decision was a hard one.

The almost five years Adcock and his family have stayed in Somerset is longer than anywhere else over the years that he’s been with Wal-Mart, as he has held positions in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island over the last 12 years.

“It’s hard to leave this community,” said Adcock. “I’m hoping one day I can make it back to Somerset (to retire). It’s a great community.”

The community support is probably what has kept him here so long, Adcock added.

And as he leaves, Adcock says what he will miss the most are all the people he works with.

“When you are here (at the store) 70 some hours a week, they are as much as your family,” said Adcock.

Upon Adcock’s arrival to the community, those in the area began to see Adcock and other Wal-Mart employees involved in the work of various community organizations.

Adcock said being involved in the community wasn’t something he just did in Somerset, though, as he had always done that no matter where he was and that is something Wal-Mart tries to do.

“We have to think why we’re here,” said Adcock. “We’re here for the community.”

Adcock said usually every manager is assigned to a non-profit organization and they concentrate on that organization.

“One of (our) cornerstones is giving to our community and doing what we can,” said Adcock. “We have a lot of resources.”

Some of the organizations Adcock and other members of the store have been involved with in recent times include God’s Food Pantry, the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Trooper Island, United Way, Rotary, Take a Kid Fishing, Always Believe in Children, Catch a Rainbow, and Somernites Cruise. Wal-Mart is currently sponsoring the computer room at the new library, which will open Monday.

Adcock was the mind behind the Somernites Cruise Block Party, which started in 2005 and has grown to a monthly event that brings a crowd to the Wal-Mart parking lot for music, classic cars and fun every Friday night prior to Somernites.

The event has become so successful that other Wal-Mart managers are now asking Adcock how the Somerset store pulled such an event off.

As well, Adcock helped bring Somernites Cruise more notoriety when he helped develop Somernites Salsa, which made it’s debut in 2006.

Adcock worked with the Department of Agriculture and the Kentucky Proud program — the program which helps farmers have an alternative to the tobacco crop and has items that are 100 percent made in Kentucky — about a salsa after thinking about the impact it could also have on local farmers throughout the state of Kentucky.

Adcock said he appreciated all the support from community businesses, the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce and customers.

“We could not do it without them,” said Adcock. “Without them, we wouldn’t have a store or jobs.”

At the end of the day, Adcock said it had been an emotional day, as so many people from the community had been coming in to see him, as well as most all of the store associates who were off work coming to give him a farewell.

“It’s a good thing when you have that many people supporting you,” said Adcock.

A replacement for Adcock has not yet been chosen.

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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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