DALLAS COUNTY, Texas — Construction is already underway for two new high-tech supply chain facilities from retail giant Walmart.
The chain chose the Dallas-Fort Worth area to build the two new facilities, which includes one 1,500,000 square-foot fulfillment center and a 730,000 square-foot grocery distribution center. Both facilities will be automated, a Walmart spokesperson said.
Construction workers have been at it non-stop to get both Lancaster locations up and running over the next two years, with the fulfillment center slated to open in 2023 while the grocery center will open in 2024.
The automation, the retailer said, will help Walmart keep up with customer demands as Wally World continues grow nationwide.
With the two new centers, the retailer said it plans to not only get products to store shelves faster, but also meet customer home delivery demands. The automated facilities will allow Walmart to more than double the products they move to stores and for customer home deliveries.
Lauren Willis is part of the Walmart Global Communications Team. She said opening the facilities in Lancaster will also be a boost to the economy in that part of North Texas. For example, the Lancaster area prepared months ago for the facilities by planning newly paved roads, new sidewalks, a walking trail and more.
The Lancaster facilities will become the company's largest automated locations, bringing with them about a thousand new jobs. When the high-tech facility at Cornell Street and East Pleasant Run is done, some of the jobs will be high-tech, the company said.
"We are looking for folks with technology experience," Willis told WFAA. "In fact, 40 percent of the new jobs created will require STEM skills to support technical positions."
Walmart operates 19 distribution centers, 593 retail stores and employs 171,000+ associates in the state of Texas, according to the company.
“I, along with my colleagues on the Lancaster City Council, are excited to be working with Walmart as they construct two facilities simultaneously within our community," said Clyde C. Hairston, Mayor of the City of Lancaster. "This is a true example of my philosophy that 'positive, progressive partnerships, produce prosperity for all.' Working together in a collaborative atmosphere always benefits the whole."
Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price agreed, saying the facilities will "anchor" the Dallas County Inland Port area.
"This investment is a boon for both Southern Dallas County and Northern Ellis County,” Price said. “Walmart continues to bring economic viability to the fastest-growing industrial area in the country."