New Business Openings: October 2026. Monica Franks REALTOR(R)· DRE 01269788 Key Takeaways * The biggest new-business news of the month is the October 15 announcement that Costco Wholesale will move its Merced County warehouse to the new Gateway Marketplace in Merced, joining TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Ross, Burlington, Five Below, and Mister Car Wash at the center near Coffee Street and Campus Parkway off Highway 99. No opening date has been announced yet. * Merced College opened its new South Merced Center at 640 T Street on September 30, 2026, bringing college-credit classes, workforce training, tutoring, and family programming to South Merced. * Turlock's Walmart Supercenter at 2111 Fulkerth Road celebrated a remodeled grand reopening on October 9, 2026, with expanded grocery options, online pickup, and a refreshed pharmacy and vision center. * Aspen Dental is under construction at the Shoppes at Merced on R Street with a target of late 2026, the first dental office confirmed among this month's announced openings. * No confirmed new non-restaurant business openings were reported this month in Atwater, Livingston, Winton, Chowchilla, McSwain, Catheys Valley, or Mariposa. October brought two confirmed non-restaurant openings in Merced County and the largest wave of new-business announcements the area has seen this year. Merced College opened its South Merced Center at 640 T Street on September 30, Turlock's Walmart Supercenter celebrated a remodeled grand reopening on October 9, and city officials announced on October 15 that Costco Wholesale and seven more businesses, including TJ Maxx and HomeGoods, are coming to the new Gateway Marketplace in Merced. This is the New Business Openings roundup for October 2026, covering shops, services, gyms, salons, offices, and other non-restaurant businesses that opened or publicly announced an opening across Merced County and nearby Central Valley communities during the past month. Every entry below was verified against an official page, the business's own channels, or reputable local coverage before it was included. Announced-but-not-yet-open businesses are clearly marked as announced, and nothing is listed that could not be confirmed. Now open. Two openings were confirmed in the past month: a new permanent college center in South Merced and a remodeled grand reopening at Turlock's biggest retailer. Merced College South Merced Center · Merced · opened September 30, 2026. Merced College opened its South Merced Center at 640 T Street on September 30, 2026, transforming the former Stephen Leonard Youth Center into a permanent college presence in South Merced. The center offers college-credit classes, workforce and job training, tutoring, health and wellness classes, College for Kids youth programming, financial aid help, study space, and career exploration services, all inside Stephen Leonard Park. Welcome to South Merced, Merced College! Find programs, hours, and contact details on the official Merced College campuses page. Walmart Supercenter · Turlock · grand reopening October 9, 2026. The Walmart Supercenter at 2111 Fulkerth Road in Turlock celebrated its remodeled grand reopening on Friday, October 9, 2026. The refreshed store adds expanded grocery options, online pickup, and a remodeled pharmacy and vision center, giving shoppers in the Turlock area an upgraded one-stop destination close to home. Welcome back to Turlock, Walmart! See hours, services, and directions on the official Walmart Turlock store page. Opening soon: announced this month. The biggest story of October is a wave of announcements rather than openings. On October 15, Merced city officials confirmed that Costco Wholesale will relocate its only Merced County warehouse from 1445 R Street to Gateway Marketplace, the developing center near Coffee Street and Campus Parkway off Highway 99, where it will be joined by seven more businesses. No opening dates have been announced for any of them yet, so each is marked here exactly as the sources state: announced, not yet open. Costco Wholesale · Gateway Marketplace, Merced · Announced October 15, 2026, opening date not announced. Costco Wholesale will relocate its Merced County warehouse from 1445 R Street, its home for more than 30 years, to Gateway Marketplace near Coffee Street and Campus Parkway in Merced. The membership warehouse sells groceries, household goods, electronics, and more at warehouse prices. Welcome to Gateway Marketplace, Costco! City officials have said a relocation date will be announced as construction progresses, so this entry will be updated the month the store opens. TJ Maxx · Gateway Marketplace, Merced · Merced's first location, opening date not announced. TJ Maxx is confirmed for Gateway Marketplace in Merced, and it would be Merced's first location of the off-price department store, which carries brand-name apparel, shoes, and home goods at discount prices. Welcome to Merced, TJ Maxx! No opening date has been announced. HomeGoods · Gateway Marketplace, Merced · Merced's first location, opening date not announced. HomeGoods is also confirmed for Gateway Marketplace in Merced as Merced's first location of the home furnishings chain, known for furniture, decor, rugs, and kitchen goods. Welcome to Merced, HomeGoods! No opening date has been announced. Ross Dress for Less · Gateway Marketplace, Merced · second Merced store, opening date not announced. Ross Dress for Less is coming to Gateway Marketplace as a second Merced store of the off-price apparel and home goods retailer. Welcome to the neighborhood, Ross! No opening date has been announced. Burlington · Gateway Marketplace, Merced · second Merced store, opening date not announced. Burlington is confirmed for Gateway Marketplace as a second Merced store of the discount department store, offering apparel, shoes, home goods, and baby gear. Welcome to the neighborhood, Burlington! No opening date has been announced. Five Below · Gateway Marketplace, Merced · second Merced store, opening date not announced. Five Below is confirmed for Gateway Marketplace as a second Merced store of the extreme-value discount retailer, known for toys, tech accessories, snacks, and seasonal finds. Welcome to the neighborhood, Five Below! No opening date has been announced. Mister Car Wash · Gateway Marketplace, Merced · planned, opening date not announced. Mister Car Wash, the express exterior car wash chain, is among the businesses planned for Gateway Marketplace in Merced. Welcome to Merced, Mister Car Wash! No opening date has been announced. Aspen Dental · Shoppes at Merced, 3170 R Street · under construction, targeting late 2026. Aspen Dental is under construction at the Shoppes at Merced, 3170 R Street in Merced, with local reporting targeting an opening late in 2026. The dental office will offer exams, cleanings, dentures, and other dental services. Welcome to Merced, Aspen Dental! This entry will be updated when an opening date is confirmed. The Merced Sun-Star's report on the eight businesses set to open at Gateway Marketplace is the source for the Costco, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Ross, Burlington, Five Below, and Mister Car Wash announcements, alongside the October 15 announcement that Costco will move its county warehouse there. What about the rest of Merced County? No confirmed new non-restaurant business openings were reported this month in Atwater, Livingston, Winton, Chowchilla, McSwain, Catheys Valley, or Mariposa. Those communities are covered every month in this roundup, and the list will not be padded: the moment an opening or a firm announcement is confirmed in any of them, it earns its own entry here with a source link. Why new businesses matter for home sellers. A steady stream of new shops, services, and retailers is one of the clearest signs a community is drawing investment, and it is a detail buyers notice on tour: new storefronts, busier shopping centers, and more reasons to stay close to home. For sellers, a strengthening local business scene is worth weaving into how you present your Merced home or your Turlock street, because it speaks to the everyday convenience a buyer is really purchasing. For the fuller picture of what is being built across the county, from retail centers to road work and new clinics, the City Development Tracker: October 2026 walks through every active project with its source. And for the week the Costco announcement landed, the Local News Digest: October Week 3 rounds up the Gateway Marketplace news alongside Turlock's John Lazar Park grand opening and Mariposa's symphony season. Past openings. This New Business Openings roundup is new this month, but the openings story for Merced County has been running all fall. For the restaurant, cafe, and coffee shop side of it, the New Restaurant Openings: October 2026 roundup covers Joy Tea Bar and the new Del Taco in Turlock, plus the Chipotle, Poki Bowl, and Angry Chickz under construction at Yosemite Crossing. It stays live under the New Restaurants category for reference and SEO, and past editions of the openings coverage will be gathered here by month going forward. Monica Franks REALTOR(R)· DRE 01269788 · HomeSmart PV and Associates The Seller's Agent. Monica combines deep Merced County market knowledge with a polished, confident approach that gets results for home sellers across the Central Valley. Serving Merced, Atwater, McSwain, Livingston, Turlock, Winton, Chowchilla, Catheys Valley, and Mariposa. She publishes this New Business Openings roundup monthly. The Seller's Agent. Why You Choose Matters. Enjoy the new spots, Merced. And when you are ready to talk about your home, Monica is here: a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your goals and what your property could achieve in today's market. Call (209) 345-3836 or use the form below. Never Miss a Story Add Monica Franks as a Preferred Source on Google to see more of my content in AI Mode and AI Overviews.

Dental Practice Financing: Fund Your Second Office Before the DSOs Do. SEO title: Dental Practice Financing: Fund Your Second Office Meta description: How can dental practice financing fund a second office in rural North Carolina, cover equipment and startup costs, and protect cash flow and owner control? October 17, 2026 | 1:00 p.m. ET Fund Your Second Office Before the DSOs Do: dental practice financing can help an independent owner pursue a rural North Carolina opportunity while protecting the cash needed to operate both locations. Aspen Dental's October 8 opening in Whiteville offers a timely example of an experienced practice owner expanding into a new community with organizational support. Key takeaway: A second location is more than a real estate or equipment decision. Plan for the full cash-flow ramp (buildout, hiring, operating costs and delayed collections) before committing. Then compare financing structures that fit your ownership model and preserve room to manage both offices. Whiteville shows how rural access and expansion meet. Aspen Dental announced a supported practice at 1730 S. JK Powell Blvd. in Whiteville, independently owned and operated by Young Chi Chang, DDS. Dr. Chang has been part of its network since 2018 and has owned the Shallotte practice since 2021. The opening is her next location; the release does not identify how the Whiteville office was financed. Aspen Dental's president of field operations, Lori D'Anna, said supporting experienced owners as they open additional offices is a direct way to expand access. She also described the group's role in handling equipment, hiring, scheduling systems and other business functions for the new office. That's a particular support model, not a template every independent owner needs to follow. The local context matters. The Census Bureau reports Columbus County spans 938 square miles, has an estimated population of 50,487 as of July 1, 2025, and has 22.2% of residents aged 65 or older. Communities include Chadbourn, Tabor City and Fair Bluff. For a second-office plan, these figures offer context, not proof of demand: validate patient access, competition, payer mix and staffing before selecting a site. What does it cost to open a second dental office? There is no reliable one-size-fits-all budget. Costs depend on the site, lease terms, construction needs, equipment choices, staffing plan and timeline to steady collections. A solo owner should model: Lease deposits, construction, design and permitting. Dental chairs, imaging, sterilization systems and technology. Recruiting, onboarding, payroll and supplies before revenue stabilizes. Marketing, insurance, utilities and other recurring expenses. A working-capital reserve for both the new office and the established practice. A location-specific forecast should include conservative assumptions for patient growth and collections. Stress-test delays, lower-than-planned volume and unexpected buildout needs. A cash position analysis and financing conversation with White Coat Financial Partners can help identify the funding gap without treating the existing practice's cash reserve as unlimited. How do I finance a second dental office without straining the first? Start with the ownership structure, project costs and repayment capacity, not an assumed loan amount. Compare available options for construction, equipment and working capital, then evaluate the total cost, payment timing, guarantees and flexibility. Preserve enough liquidity to support the original office if the new location takes longer to ramp up. Equipment leasing can complement other financing. Leasing pays for the use of equipment rather than ownership, which can help a practice deploy imaging, diagnostic or other revenue-producing technology without taking on all the upfront cost and ownership risk. A lease with a purchase option may also create a path to upgrade equipment at term end. Tax treatment depends on the arrangement; under IRS Section 179 lessees may deduct the full lease payment as a business expense in the year of payment (check with your tax advisor to see if you qualify). Build the plan around strategic capital management: match each funding source to a specific use, and model its effect on monthly cash flow. Accounting is history. Financing is forward looking. Why might a rural North Carolina market reward early planning? Rural expansion can improve access while creating a viable new market for a well-prepared owner. But moving early only helps when the location, staffing plan and financial runway are sound. Columbus County's area and population distribution make travel time, community needs and operational coverage important parts of diligence. Map the service area and assess existing providers and patient access. Confirm the site's fit with the services and hours you intend to offer. Identify hiring constraints and build realistic coverage plans. Test the financial forecast against a slower patient and collections ramp. The Whiteville example shows that a second office can be independently owned within a larger support network, and that support model is one path, not the only one. Your decision should reflect clinical autonomy, business support needs, financing terms and long-term goals, with clarity and strategic advantage as the standard. How can AR-Backed Working Capital help bridge the ramp? A new location can require cash before insurance and patient payments arrive. AR-Backed Working Capital may help eligible practices address that timing gap without forcing the owner to divert all available cash from daily operations. Under White Coat Financial Partners' non-notification model, the practice retains its own billing and collections; White Coat Financial Partners does not take possession of receivables, does not contact patients, and does not intervene in billing. White Coat Financial Partners lends against the aggregate sum of monies due across total receivables, not individual claims. Repayment is structured to follow the practice's actual cash flow, with no compounding interest. Lending is receivables-backed, not based on personal credit scores alone. The solution can scale from solo practices to multi-location groups. Practices can also pair financing with Lean Six Sigma consulting to shorten the billing cycle and reduce the long-term need for financing. Explore AR-Backed Working Capital and financing options as part of a broader forward-looking plan. What should a second-location financing plan include? Before signing a lease or starting construction, bring together a location-specific budget, cash-flow forecast, staffing assumptions and a clear funding strategy. White Coat Financial Partners brings unmatched expertise and white-glove services to healthcare business planning, with a focus on financial planning and the stability needed to grow thoughtfully. Separate startup spending from recurring operating cash needs. Compare financing structures against the expected collections ramp. Assess how a new commitment affects the existing practice. Revisit assumptions as project costs and timelines become clearer. A strong plan does not promise a particular result. It gives the owner a more informed basis for deciding whether, when and how to expand. Frequently asked questions. Can I get dental practice financing based on receivables instead of my credit score? AR-Backed Working Capital is based on eligible receivables, not personal credit scores alone. Approval and terms depend on an assessment of the practice and its receivables. Does White Coat Financial Partners take over billing or contact patients? No. The practice retains its billing and collections. White Coat Financial Partners does not take possession of receivables, contact patients or intervene in billing. Can financing support both equipment and working capital? Potentially. Equipment leasing can help fund equipment use, while AR-Backed Working Capital may address cash-flow timing. The right mix depends on the project, practice finances and available terms. Plan your next location with confidence. A second office requires more than a site and a buildout budget. It calls for forward-looking financing, cash position analysis and a plan that supports both locations through the ramp. Contact White Coat Financial Partners at the Medical Practice Financing North Carolina page or call 910-688-5077 to discuss your expansion goals. Sources. Stuart D. Anderson is the founder and President of White Coat Financial Partners, a Fayetteville, NC-based firm providing specialized financial and advisory services for healthcare professionals and organizations. With deep expertise in AR-backed working capital, equipment leasing, M&A brokerage, and Lean Six Sigma process optimization, Stuart helps medical practices unlock capital, streamline operations, and achieve long-term financial stability. Connect with Stuart on LinkedIn. October 17, 2026 Stuart D. Anderson White Coat Financial Partners