Walmart to build massive 3 M SF eCommerce logistics hub near Charleston S.C.
Retail giant Walmart will build a massive import distribution center near Ridgeville, giving the State Ports Authority an anchor tenant for an industrial park aimed at diversifying cargo shipments through the Port of Charleston.
At 3 million square feet, the huge logistics site will be Walmart’s third-largest in the country, trailing warehouse hubs in Texas and Illinois.
Groundbreaking on the $220 million project will take place in March and the facility will be in operation by April 2022. At buildout, it will employ 1,000 full-time workers and boost the port’s cargo volume by 70,000 containers a year.
“At a time when job creation is so vital, and — more than ever — our customers are relying on Walmart for the essentials they need during this unprecedented time, we are excited about the impact this new facility will have on the regional economy and how it will help us better serve customers across the Southeast,” Greg Smith, executive vice president of the supply chain for Walmart, said in a statement.
It’s a major step in the SPA’s goal of diversifying its cargo base, which has been largely dependent on manufacturing shipments over the past decade.
“The distribution center announcement is tremendous news for the area, and the South Carolina Ports Authority, representing a major strategic success and putting South Carolina on the map for large retail companies,” said Jim Newsome, the authority’s president and CEO.
Newsome said Walmart “represents the cutting edge in terms of supply chain innovation,” adding the two sides have been negotiating since 2017 and the authority’s purchase of the Ridgeville property along Interstate 26 helped swing the deal.
The maritime agency bought the 950-acre Ridgeville Commerce Park, which is roughly 30 miles from the Port of Charleston’s shipping terminals, for $16.2 million in 2018. The Walmart distribution center will sit on 250 acres and will include two buildings, 2,200 spaces for trucks and 500 loading docks. It will support roughly 850 stores in a 150-mile radius and will also fulfill e-commerce orders. For comparison, the distribution center will be the size of 52 football fields or more than eight times the size of Boeing Co.’s towering paint hangar along International Boulevard in North Charleston.
First reported @ https://www.postandcourier.com/business/walmart-to-build-220m-distribution-center-near-charleston-create-1-000-jobs-boost-port/article_e2fecfb8-ca8e-11ea-b058-b321cd9b7f0c.html
