NEWS - State Biz Breaking News

SBJ Staff Report

Sept 12, 2011 – Lowe’s home improvement stores has announced a $125 million investment in Georgia in Rome to build a new distribution center that is projected to create 600 new jobs in the area with three years.

Gov. Nathan Deal broke ground with representatives of Lowe’s last week in Floyd County for a new regional distribution center slated for completion in 2013.

“Georgia’s logistics and workforce advantages help make us exactly the right place for Lowe’s to be,” said Deal. “Companies draw from their past experiences when deciding where to locate, so I’m pleased Lowe’s experiences with its other facilities here have been positive and helped contribute to its success throughout the Southeast.”

The 1.4-million sq ft. facility will be located on 140 acres in the North Floyd Industrial Park and will service Lowe’s stores in western Georgia, northern Florida and Alabama. It joins Lowe’s three other warehousing/distribution facilities in Georgia, one in Valdosta, one in Palmetto and one in Savannah.

Georgia QuickStart, one of the nation’s top workforce training programs, will help Lowe’s prepare its workers to begin operations the day the center opens.

“We chose Floyd County because of the talented workforce, accessibility to major transportation corridors and the commitment of local and state leaders to make this a win-win project,” said Mike Mabry, Lowe’s executive vice president. “Not only will there be construction jobs and initial investment, there will be salaries going back into the local community and ongoing benefits for Floyd County and the state of Georgia for many years to come.”

Chairman Eddie Lumsden of the Floyd County Commission credited the citizen support of a 2009 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which included resources for economic development. “We chose to invest in ourselves and that investment is paying off,” he said at the groundbreaking.