MEBANE, N.C. -- After three years of planning and months of construction, the new Walmart distribution center in Mebane is finally open and ready for business.
"This is a perishable food distribution center,” said Walmart spokesman, Bryan Boudreaux. “[It's] about 500,000 square feet. We'll be shipping frozen, dairy, deli and meat and produce out of this facility."
Boudreaux says they needed to fill more than 500 openings and have plenty of space for growth. Mebane was a prime location for their operations.
"[It's a] great workforce, great location,” said Boudreaux. "It's really going to help us serve our stores in North Carolina and southern Virginia a whole lot better."
Gov. Pat McCrory also attended the opening ceremony. He commended county leaders for helping to bring Walmart to the area.
"The unemployment rate dropped from double digits to 4.4 percent in Alamance County,” said Gov. McCrory. “They helped lead this incredible economic revival here in North Carolina."
Gov. McCrory expects the distribution center in Mebane to have a statewide ripple effect across North Carolina.
"One of the reasons we got this is because of our great logistics highway network,” said Gov. McCrory. “We had a great site and low taxes which we implemented here in North Carolina."
Boudreaux says the company will be more like a community partner in Mebane rather than just another business. They donated thousands of dollars Wednesday to three different charities.
"This facility will be super engaged, not only inside with our associates but [externally] with our community as well," said Boudreaux.
The center will be fully functional by Aug. 1.