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Costco employees at the Avon Commons help a shopper load furniture into his van. Costco Wholesale Corp. is opening its fourth area warehouse in the Village of Boston Heights, Summit County, on June 22.

(David I. Anderson, Plain Dealer file)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Costco Wholesale Corp. is offering cash cards, coupons, and freebies to consumers who sign up as members before its Village of Boston Heights warehouse opens June 22.

It has also begun hiring for an unspecified number of openings via its website, which lists jobs ranging from cake decorators and meat cutters to cashiers and pharmacists. The website says: "Please Note: These jobs may not be open, but are representative of jobs at a Costco location."

The Boston Heights store at 6720 Bass Pro Drive, one of seven new locations opening nationwide this year, will be Costco's 11th warehouse in Ohio. Its closest neighbor is the 770,000-square-foot Arhaus furniture headquarters and distribution center.

When Costco applied for funding for road improvements at the northwest intersection of Ohio Route 8 and East Hines Hill Road, it said it would hire 150 to 160 people, with an estimated payroll of $3.2 million, said Connie L. Krauss, director of the Summit County Department of Community and Economic Development.

Costco also told the Summit County building department that it would spend an estimated $20 million to build the Boston Heights warehouse, she said.

Krauss, who is a Costco member and drives 30 minutes to its Strongsville warehouse to shop, said she has friends who buy their clothes and vacation packages from Costco. She noted that Costco starts its employees at higher than minimum wage and is known for treating them better than other discount retailers.

Shoppers who sign up as $110-a-year Executive Members will receive a $20 Costco cash card and $55 worth of coupons for free and discounted products. Executive Members get a 2 percent annual rebate of up to $750 on most purchases, as well as other benefits.

Those who sign up as $55-per-year Gold Star or Business Members will get a $10 cash card. Those who sign up before June will have their annual membership extended through June 2017.

Consumers can sign up between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily at Costco's temporary marketing offices at 8210 Macedonia Commons Blvd. in Macedonia.

Costco in Boston Heights:

Opening: June 22, 2016

Address: 6720 Bass Pro Drive Boston Heights, OH 44236

Hours: 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday - Friday; 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Costco has more than 81 million members, who pay for the privilege of shopping at more than 700 Costco warehouses worldwide. Its enormous warehouses carry about 4,000 different items, compared to more than 30,000 at a typical supermarket.

But Costco's merchandise can range from a $93,999.99 pear-shaped diamond platinum necklace (valued at $119,585) to a 192-pack of Kirtland Signature Supreme diapers for $29.99, including free shipping.

"By carefully choosing products based on quality, price, brand, and features, the company can offer the best value to members," Costco explains on its website.

Costco, based in Issaquah, Washington, opened in 1976 as a Price Club inside a former airplane hangar in San Diego. The first Costco warehouse opened in the Seattle area in 1983, and by 1993, the company had 206 locations and $16 billion in annual sales.

For its last fiscal year that ended on Aug. 30, 2015, Costco raked in $113.67 billion in sales.

The company has 703 warehouses, including 492 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 90 in Canada, 36 in Mexico, 27 in the United Kingdom, 24 in Japan, 12 in Korea, 12 in Taiwan, eight in Australia, and two in Spain, according to its website.

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