Dollar Tree, Inc., North America’s leading operator of discount variety stores, announced plans for a new distribution center in Morrow County. The company plans to invest more than $125 million into the project, while creating 400 new jobs for the Columbus Region. Dollar Tree will be the second largest employer in the county.
“Dollar Tree is a large and growing organization,” said Gary Philbin, Dollar Tree president and CEO. “We currently operate more than 735 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores in the state of Ohio and we are excited about our new distribution center project in Morrow County. This new facility will enhance our supply chain, provide convenient access to our network of stores and create hundreds of new jobs for the citizens in Morrow County and its surrounding counties.”
Dollar Tree will invest in the construction of a new 1.2 million-square-feet distribution facility in Bennington Township that will provide service directly to Dollar Tree’s stores. Construction is slated to commence in summer 2018, with the facility being operational by summer 2019.
“The Morrow County Commissioners are thrilled to welcome an industry-leading retailer like Dollar Tree to the community, and we’re energized by the hundreds of employment opportunities it will bring,” said Tom Whiston, Morrow County commissioner.
Situated directly on I-71, the facility will provide Dollar Tree with prime access to quickly and efficiently move product to its stores. Furthermore, the new distribution center provides Morrow County residents in-county employment opportunities, right inside of town.
“Dollar Tree’s investment in a new fulfillment center in Bennington is great news for the Columbus Region and the 400 Ohioans who will soon be on the job in Morrow County,” said Ted Griffith, JobsOhio managing director for logistics and distribution. “This was a collaborative effort with Columbus 2020, Morrow County and Dollar Tree that will grow this successful company’s presence in Ohio.”
Headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia, Dollar Tree is the largest and most successful single-price-point retailer in North America. Dollar Tree was ranked No. 136 on the 2017 Fortune 500 ranking of largest companies. As of fiscal year-ended February 3, 2018, the company operated 14,835 retail stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces, along with a network of 22 distribution centers.
With greater access to the U.S. market than any other major metro, the Columbus Region is a strategic location for the movement of goods. More than 4,400 logistics establishments employing over 83,000 employees thrive on the Columbus Region’s ultra-modern interstate highway system, third-party logistics companies and multiple rail terminals. Morrow County is approximately 45 minutes north of downtown Columbus. The county has a population approaching 40,000 and in recent years has invested millions to expand water, sewer, natural gas and fiber utilities infrastructure.