Five years after it created its newest operating division in Charlotte, NC, Publix has announced that it will build a distribution center complex to supply and support stores that the large retailer operates in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina.
The 1.8-million-square-foot warehouse would be built in two phases on 350 acres reportedly on Birch Creek Road near U.S. Route 70 outside Greensboro (Guilford County). Publix reportedly plans to spend approximately $300 million on the project.
The 1.8-million-square-foot depot, which will include a dry and a refrigerated warehouse, would be built in two phases and is projected to be completed by 2022. The facility could employ as many as 1,000 associates.
The Greensboro city council agreed to give the Lakeland, FL merchant its largest incentive package in its history – up to $17.7 million in potential benefits (Greensboro would reimburse Publix for land and equipment by giving back 80 percent of the city property taxes Publix pays for 20 years) – plus an additional $3 million in water and sewer lines. The North Carolina Department of Commerce also agreed to chip in with a job development grant for $13.1 million.
The city council’s incentive offer is dependent on Publix investing $400 million by December 31, 2024. As one of the nation’s most profitable supermarket organizations (which is primarily owned by the employees), Publix must also create jobs with an average annual salary of $42,000 by a timeline proposed by the council: 500 new jobs by December 31, 2013; 22 new jobs by December 31, 2024; and 278 new jobs by December 31, 2025.
“As a proud community supporter, Publix is excited to create hundreds of new employment opportunities and to help provide for greater economic prosperity in Guilford County,” said Publix CEO and president Todd Jones. “We appreciate the hard work of Governor (Roy) Cooper and all those involved in making this distribution center possible.”
Publix will add a variety of job functions with this project, including positions in the administrative and maintenance departments as well as the refrigerated warehouse. The annual payroll impact is expected to be $44 million if all phases of the project are completed. Currently, Publix operates 106 stores in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina with expansion planned for those states. Chuck Roskovich, VP-retail operations and a 43-year veteran of Publix, has served as the head of the Charlotte unit since it was created in 2013.