Children’s apparel maker Carter’s Inc. plans to open a distribution center in Jackson County in June, state and company officials said Wednesday.
But as part of its global supply chain strategy, the Atlanta-based company will close a smaller facility in Hogansville that currently employs 200 within the next 14 months.
The net effect: 600 new full-time jobs over the next three years, state officials said.
The new distribution center in Braselton, 50 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta, will initially employ 250 when it opens in June and will ramp up to full staffing by 2015, said Greg Fogelsong, Carter’s senior vice president of marketing. Including part-time positions that could be more than 1,000 positions, he said.
Workers at the Carter’s plant in Hogansville, 55 miles southwest of Atlanta and two hours from Braselton, can apply for positions at the new center, Fogelsong said.
Carter's will fill a building near I-85 that housed until last year a Progressive Lighting and a Mitsubishi electronics plant. State officials said the company will invest $50 million in the project.
The new distribution center will support Carter’s web-based commerce, retail and wholesale businesses and make each division more efficient, Fogelsong said.
Fogelsong said the new center will not affect operations at an existing distribution facility in Stockbridge.
“This new facility is intended to allow us to support growth in our Carter’s and OshKosh B’Gosh brands, improve the efficiency of our operations and better serve our customers," Carter’s Chairman and CEO Michael D. Casey said in a news release.
Carter's did not disclose wages for the new facility, but described them as "competitive."
Carter's is eligible for up to $6.55 million in state incentives, with some based on net full-time jobs created statewide over the next three years, state officials said.
Jackson County has had several large job announcements in recent months, including up to 900 at a planned Bed Bath & Beyond "e-commerce fulfillment center" and a new Toyota Industriesparts plant that will employ 320.
Home Depot said last month, however, it will close certain operations in Braselton and cut 300 jobs, though a similar number are expected to be added at a new facility elsewhere in the state.
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More info: Carter's will hold a job fair at the new plant at 625 Braselton Parkway May 9-12. For details, visit www.carters.com/DCjobs
