Walmart’s eye on Alabama is growing from its new distribution center and beyond. The retail giant recently noted that its Mobile County facility, slated to be one of the largest of its properties in the U.S. at 2.5-million-square-feet, is on schedule to open next year and is not the only point of expansion in the state.
The company is launching a multimillion-dollar capital campaign, according to AL.com, to remodel seven locations in the state:
Walmart is also adding more Walmart academies to the three it already has in Alabama, a move that Senior Manager of Communications Erica Jones said is part of the retailer’s 2015 training operation enhancements.
"We'll be investing in training that our associates receive," said Jones, commenting that these will be part of the 120 opened in the U.S. with a goal of 200 by the end of the year. "The academy program is a result of that."
These moves are in addition to the company’s $135 million investment in the distribution center that will be the sixth of its kind in the country, with 550 jobs planned to support a logistical hub serving 800 stores from Alabama to the Great Lakes.
The timeline remains unchanged, Walmart said, with intention to post for senior-level positions, such as operations managers and area managers, starting this month or in early July. The goal is to have a full leadership team this fall, in time to be open and fully-operational next year.
