The Walmart Distribution Center in Lewiston is planning a $1.7 million expansion in two areas of the complex seen in this May 10 aerial photo. At the bottom of the photo is the Lewiston Public Works Ops Center on River Road. In the background is the Gendron & Gendron sandpit. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

LEWISTON — After the Lewiston Planning Board approved an 8,640-square-foot dispatch building and a 770-square-foot truck maintenance garage expansion at 31 Alfred Plourde Parkway, the Walmart Distribution Center is gearing up to fill it with new employees.

Walmart is hiring up to 90 new employees for order-filling positions at the soon-to-be expanded building. To fill those spots with associates, Walmart will hold a jobs fair from 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the center. There will be computers for submitting an application, tours of the facility and the possibility of on-the-spot job offers, according to jobfairsin.com.

The hiring plan comes after strong sales increases were reported during a February earnings announcement.

The company is looking to hire thousands of new Walmart Supply Chain employees across the country, including up to 90 in Lewiston. Some applicants will be able to receive conditional on-the-spot job offers. 

“Our Grocery Distribution Centers are critical to helping ensure our local stores have what our customers need to feed their families, so we’re looking for the very best talent we can find to both help us meet demand and grow jobs into careers,” Tim Cooper, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Supply Chain, said. 

The starting pay is $18.55 per hour and all jobs are considered full time, which qualify employees for insurance benefits, 401(k) match, paid time off, a quarterly incentive program and access to a college degree for one dollar a day. 

The Lewiston building employs 532 people, 318 during the week and 214 on weekends. The expansion will remove 54 parking spaces, but with 332 spaces left, the company indicated in its application that it has plenty of room left.