BJs Wholesale Club broke ground on its 100,000-square foot store in Town Madison to much fanfare on Thursday.

A drumline from James Clemens High School and Sprocket, the mascot from the Trash Pandas minor league baseball club down the road, were there to welcome their new neighbors to town.

The Massachusetts chain’s first store in Alabama is expected to open in November, said Dave Picot, BJs Wholesale Club executive vice president for Real Estate.

“We’re gradually inching our way forward,” he said. “We hope to open more stores in Alabama as well. This is a starting point for us.”

Once it opens, BJs will have stores in 20 states, stretching from Maine to Florida. The store is being built at 165 Graphics Drive next door to the Hilton Garden Inn.