The Greer Inland Port was cited by a Dollar Tree corporate official as a key reason in the company investing in the Upstate.
“Dollar Tree has been extremely impressed with the South Carolina transportation infrastructure which will support the Upstate distribution center. The current Interstate 85 widening project and the efficiencies associated with the Greer Inland Port were instrumental in our site selection process," Stephen White, Dollar Tree chief logistics officer, said.
Dollar Tree is establishing new distribution operations in the Upstate Corporate Park located off of I-85 in both Cherokee and Spartanburg counties. The $104.4 million investment is expected to create 400 new jobs over the next five years.
Construction of the 1.5-million-square-foot facility is expected to begin this month, with hiring for the new positions expected to begin in the first quarter of 2016.
"SC Ports Authority is excited to welcome Dollar Tree to South Carolina. Their Upstate location is ideally suited for serving the growing Southeastern consumer market, and the Inland Port in Greer provides them with overnight access to import cargo for retail distribution," Jim Newsome, SC Ports Authority President and CEO, said. "The port's investment in infrastructure to support Dollar Tree operations will be returned through significant volumes over the coming years, and we look forward to serving their import logistics needs.”
The Coordinating Council for Economic Development has approved a $1.5 million Set Aside grant to assist with the cost of real property improvements as well as job development credits related to the project.
Dollar Tree operates more than 13,600 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces. Its stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree Canada and Deals. The company is supported by a coast-to-coast logistics network and employs more than 145,000 associates.
“Dollar Tree is a large organization with tremendous growth opportunities ahead of us," Bob Sasser, CEO of Dollar Tree, said. "We have been very impressed with the business-friendly approach and support that the State of Carolina and counties of Cherokee and Spartanburg have provided. This project demonstrates our commitment to the Upstate area by creating hundreds of jobs in the region. We are proud to become a bigger part of the local community.”
A Fortune 500 company, Dollar Tree has served North America for more than 28 years. The company’s store support centers are located in Chesapeake, Va., and Matthews, N.C. It has more than 100 store locations in South Carolina.
"We also look forward to the recruiting and training assistance offered by the State's Ready SC program as it will position us well in attracting and retaining long-term distribution center associates. We are excited about this Upstate project and are eager to initiate operations in 2016," White said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 >>