Middlesex Township reacts to new DG Market location
Butler County’s newest Dollar General location opened on Thursday, May 16 on Pittsburgh Road in Middlesex Township, across the street from Scherer Electric.
Prior to opening, the possibility of a Dollar General coming to Middlesex had been discussed for more than a year, when frequent DG developers PennTex Ventures first brought it before the township.
According to Butler County property records, PennTex closed on the 3.066-acre property in September 2023, purchasing it from natural gas processing company Markwest.
Unlike most Dollar General locations, the new location in Middlesex Township is billed as a “DG Market,” which offers more grocery items and fresh produce.
Until the DG Market opened, there were few options for fresh groceries for Middlesex Township residents. The closest Walmart is in Cranberry Township, 11 miles and 25 minutes away. The closest Giant Eagle is in Butler, 14 miles and 26 minutes away.
“While Dollar General is not a grocer, we understand the affordable access our stores provide to customers, often in communities where other retailers cannot or will not serve,” wrote Dollar General’s public relations department in an e-mail.
Middlesex Township manager Jeffrey Winkle says the reception to the new DG Market has been mostly positive so far.
“I’ve heard all positive comments,” Winkle said. “People enjoy having that ability to pick up items such as perishable grocery items and drinks. I’ve heard a lot of positive comments about it.”
On a Facebook group for Middlesex Township residents, response was more mixed. While some residents appreciated having a closer option for groceries, others disapproved of the fact that the option came from the retail goliath Dollar General.
"Wow, Middlesex Township is really going high class for its residents,“ wrote Facebook user Stan Schmuck.
“We have gained a close retail store that employs people in and around the community, as well as more commercial tax base,” wrote Riley Ferguson on Facebook. “This is a done deal and isn’t going anywhere.”
As of Wednesday, signs on the new building indicate DG Market is still hiring.
“On average, each DG Market store employs approximately 10 to 15 employees, depending on the individual needs of the store,” the company said in a statement.
According to Dollar General’s public relations, there are currently 25 locations within Butler County. This includes two DG Markets — the new one in Middlesex Township, and one in Chicora. The first Dollar General location in Butler County opened in 1992 on North Main Street in Butler near the Penn Theater.
Presently, according to the company, there are no new locations in the planning phase for Butler County.
