Bed Bath & Beyond to bring 900 new jobs to Jackson County

By David Markiewicz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia's new jobs haul, which has been growing with gusto lately, got even larger Friday.

Retailer Bed Bath & Beyond plans to open an e-commerce fulfillment center in Pendergrass in Jackson County, and create as many as 900 jobs over four years, Gov. Nathan Deal said Friday.

The project is the largest jobs announcement in the state this year. Home Depot plans to open a new customer support call center next year in Cobb County, bringing with it 700 jobs.

Friday's news was a welcome blast for Georgia where unemployment stands at 10. 2 percent.

Chris Cummiskey, Georgia Department of Economic Development commissioner, said, "With unemployment in Jackson County around 10 percent, I’m confident that these jobs will have a near-immediate impact for the county and surrounding areas, particularly in this tough job market."

Bed Bath & Beyond didn't provide specific job descriptions, but state officials said they will be typical of those in a fulfillment center. The company hasn’t yet posted hiring information.

The company will invest $50 million in the fulfillment center, which will serve its expanding online sales operations. It will locate in an 810,000-square-foot facility in the Walnut Fork Distribution Center that the company is buying and upgrading.

Bed Bath & Beyond, which has 29 stores in Georgia, qualifies for approximately $12.9 million in incentives, including job tax credits, a port job tax credit bonus and a sales and use tax exemption. The company will also receive in-kind assistance from Quick Start for specialized workforce training.

Other recent new jobs announcements in Georgia include:

MBM Foodservice, a North Carolina-based food service distributor for national and regional restaurant chains, plans to open a food distribution facility in Newnan and create 108 jobs. Hiring there is expected to start in the first quarter of 2012.

Chexar Networks, a Roswell provider of technology-based services that allow banks and other businesses to serve people without traditional bank accounts, plans to create 500 jobs at a risk management center in Cordele.

Hailo USA, the American division of a German manufacturing firm, will move its headquarters, open a wind turbine component facility in Elberton and create 500 jobs over five years.

SANY Heavy Industry of China plans to add a research and development center in Peachtree City and create 300 jobs.

Greenway Medical Technologies, a provider of electronic health records software and services, will add 400 jobs over three years at its Carrollton headquarters.

Mando Corp, a South Korea global auto parts supplier, plans 426 new jobs in Meriwether County in west central Georgia.

Lowe's is to hire up to 600 people by 2016 at a regional distribution center near Rome.