Neil Greenstein, owner/operator of Brookdale ShopRite, hosted an inaugural ribbon cutting ceremony this chilly morning for its new EVgo electric vehicle fast charging station – located in the store parking lot next to Order, Pickup, Delivery area (formerly known as ShopRite from Home). Recognizing the increasing number of electric vehicles in our community, ShopRite has installed EVgo technology to add value and time-saving convenience for shoppers and drivers of electric vehicles. The Brookdale ShopRite launch is the first part of a plan to install additional charging stations across ShopRite’s state footprint.
Present this morning were some high-profile frequent shoppers: Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Bloomfield Mayor Michael J. Venezia, Essex County Commissioner VP Carlos Pomares, Councilman Nicholas Joanow, as well as Wakefern’s leadership including Government Relations Manager, Lori Price Abrams and EVgo execs.
Rep. Sherrill had this to say about the new charging stations:
“It’s just really wonderful to be out here today and to see this innovation and to be able to come and do your grocery shopping, come out and have your car charged up and ready to go – this is really what we want to see in the future. It’s why New Jersey now has $15 million, over $15 million of federal money to install these charging stations across our state.”
“This is how we want to make sure that in a state like New Jersey where our leading polluter is from our cars, where we do have legacy pollution, that we’re trying to remediate now, to be able to move forward on these environmental issues is so important to our state and of course our nation. So I really want to applaud ShopRite. I really want applaud EVgo for, for being on this cutting edge. I know it’s going to not only make our environment better, but make the lives of so many of our shoppers, including our working parents a lot easier, which I always appreciate, so thank you so much. I really appreciate it,” Sherrill added.
“This is my home store,” said Bloomfield Mayor Mike Venezia. “I live around the corner from here, but we, my wife is a big proponent ShopRight from Home. So we pull in right over there and that’s how we do our shopping. But this is a huge accomplishment. We’re very excited about this in Bloomfield. As the township… every new car that we try to purchase is gonna be an electric car. We’re making a big push for it and can’t do it without the infrastructure you need to support it. Thank you for being the community shop, right?”
Brookdale ShopRite recently completed an extensive remodel and the new EVgo fast charging station, powered by 100% renewable energy, complements all the climate friendly work inside the store: in addition to LED lighting, all refrigeration systems and cases are new energy-efficient models. Gone are the old open refrigeration shelves – the entire dairy and frozen aisles are behind energy saving doors. Even the concrete floors that save on the use of wax are eco-friendly. Now, the new charging station is available to both customers of ShopRite and people in the community. Feed your EV and your family at the same time!
Wakefern ShopRite has supported sustainability efforts – both in stores and throughout local communities – for more than four decades and plans to add more electric vehicle charging stations wherever ShopRite stores are located, enabling more drivers to go electric. The new EVgo charging station, open to the public, serves four stalls with two 100kW fast chargers and one 350kW high-power fast charger capable of simultaneously charging two vehicles.
About ShopRite
ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative based in Keasbey, NJ, and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With hundreds of supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves millions of customers each week. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Since the program began in 1999, ShopRite Partners In Caring has
donated nearly $62 million to food banks that support more than 2,200 worthy charities. As a title sponsor of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer, ShopRite has donated more than $35 million to local organizations, hospitals and community groups. For more information, please visit www.shoprite.com.
(People in attendance)
Rep. Mikie Sherrill
Bloomfield Mayor Michael J. Venezia
Essex County Commissioner VP Carlos Pomares
Councilman Nicholas Joanow
Councilman Rich Rockwell
Lori Price Abrams, Manager Government Relations
Stacy Huston, Director, EVgo
Store Associates
Mike Day, Group VP of Strategic Planning and Member Services, Wakefern Food Corp.
Dan Tarnopol, VP of Site Development, Real Estate & Member Services, Wakefern
Andrew Pittel, Manager Real Estate, Wakefern