Discount Retail Chain Dollar General (listed NYSE: DG) announced plans to build a combination dry and DG Fresh distribution center in Blair, Nebraska, representing an approximate US $85 million investment in Washington County. At full capacity, the contemporary 800,000-square-foot (240,000m2) facility is expected to create approximately 400 new career opportunities and support more than 1,500 stores in the Midwest. Construction is scheduled to begin next month with completion currently slated for early 2022. Blair’s dual facility will represent the first combination building constructed by the Company and will include approximately 650,000 square (200,000m2) feet of dry goods and approximately 150,000 square feet (50,000m2) of DG Fresh items. “We are excited for the addition of our first-ever, ground-up dual distribution center, which is to be built in Blair, and look forward to expanding our mission of Serving Others in the Midwest,” said Mike Kindy, Dollar General’s executive vice president of global supply chain. “We are grateful for the continued partnerships with Nebraska state and local leaders, particularly Governor Pete Ricketts and Washington County Economic Development Director Mike Rooks, who, together with their outstanding teams, have helped make this project possible. We also look forward to welcoming approximately 400 new Nebraskan employees to our Dollar General family soon.” Dollar General opened its first store in the Cornhusker State in 1992 and currently employs approximately 1,100 Nebraskans at more than 130 stores. Throughout the country, Dollar General currently operates 17 dry distribution centers and eight DG Fresh facilities. The Company is also currently expanding traditional dry distribution centers in Ardmore, Oklahoma (built in 1994) and Zanesville, Ohio (built in 2001) to provide DG Fresh distribution capabilities. “This US$85 million investment by Dollar General speaks to Nebraska’s business friendliness and natural advantages as a logistics and supply chain hub,” said Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts. “The dual distribution center also adds to the tremendous job growth Blair has been experiencing. Thanks to Dollar General for selecting Nebraska to be home to this new facility.” Dollar General takes a number of factors into consideration when choosing sites for its distribution centers and cold storage facilities, including proximities to DG stores, local business environments and local workforces, among many others. “We’re proud to welcome the first ground-up dual-distribution site for America’s general store to Blair. Dollar General’s commitment to community is a perfect fit for this region, and Washington County, regional leaders and Dollar General have worked together tirelessly to bring this exciting project forward. Dollar General’s new 85-acre site will be a terrific addition to our local landscape, and we’re excited to send our best workers to fill the more than 400 jobs this outstanding project will create,” said Mike Rooks, director of Washington County Economic Development. Dollar General further plans to expand its DG Private Fleet presence at the Blair facility. Distribution center employees may also take advantage of the Company’s fleet training program, which provides on-the-job training at no expense to store and distribution center employees interested in earning their Class A CDL (commercial driver’s license). Dollar General believes the addition of each distribution center represents positive economic impact in the communities it serves. The Company is deeply involved in the communities it serves and seeks to advance and support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF), which awards financial recourse to nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center each year. During the 2019 fiscal year, Dollar General and the DGLF provided more than US$25 million to support nonprofit organizations across the country and since 1993, the DGLF has awarded more than US$186 million to help more than 12 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education. See here for more: https://newscenter.dollargeneral.com/news/dollar-general-announces-new-distribution-center-in-nebraska.htm
