Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker says Louisiana’s first Buc-ee’s is on schedule to open in April. The 74,000-square-foot travel center located on Interstate 20 will house 120 gas pumps. The city has completed an $8 million project to update the roads near Buc-ee’s, and Walker says some parts of the project are ahead of schedule.
“The exterior walls are up. They’re putting the final stages of the roof up. Starting this week, interior walls are going up. All the fuel island substructures are up,” Walker said.
Buc-ee’s is expected to employ around 200 workers when it opens. Walker says management job listings will be posted in the coming months, and wages for hourly employees start at upwards of $18 an hour. He says it will be a great opportunity for workers throughout North Louisiana.
“Really good pay plus, like I said, benefits. They have 401 (k)s. They have, of course, paid vacations; but the big thing is that they also offer health insurance, and that’s huge for people today,” Walker noted.
Walker says city officials have watched other Buc-ee’s locations to prepare for the impact it will bring to Ruston. He says Ruston’s infrastructure is part of what brought the investment in the first place, and he receives almost weekly calls about potential investment nearby.
“It’s going to affect people wanting to move to Ruston. That’s the reason we’re so excited about it. We’ve got two subdivisions; but the one big one, 304 homes, those are perfect for new homebuyers and things like that,” Walker said.
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