Previous Story
Meitetsu to become Carmen Safeway
|
Posted on Jan 28 2005
Meitetsu Shopping Center will be renamed Carmen Safeway Supermarket beginning Wednesday next week, when Carmen Safeway Enterprises Inc. takes over the supermarket’s operations from Japanese firm Meitetsu Corp.
Carmen’s Safeway president Frances Borja said yesterday that her company purchased the assets of Meitetsu after the Nagoya-based Japanese firm decided to pull out its businesses on Saipan. She refused to reveal the amount involved in the transaction.
Borja belied reports that Meitetsu was pulling out from the supermarket business because its landlord, the Borja family, did not want to renew its land lease.
Borja said it was Meitetsu’s decision to leave the supermarket business, as the lease’s expiration would have been next year had the Japanese firm not backed out.
Borja also assured that her company would retain the supermarket’s existing employees numbering less than 50.
The supermarket, together with its warehouse and offices, stands on a 3,000-sqm land on Beach Road, Chalan Kanoa. It began operations as early as 1976 as Carmen Safeway Meitetsu, a joint venture between the two companies, until 1992.
Carmen Safeway decided to sell its interests over the supermarket to the Japanese firm and concentrated on operating the Carmen’s Baby News store adjacent to Meitetsu. This time, Meitetsu sold its interests over the supermarket to Carmen Safeway.
“Carmen Safeway is very pleased and excited to start with the supermarket business again. We’re getting back to our roots,” Borja said.
“We will continue to offer the same quality products of Meitetsu,” said Borja, adding that the supermarket will also carry additional merchandise.
