ATLANTA – Atlanta-based The Home Depot Inc. is launching a major warehousing expansion in the metro region, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday.
The hardware giant will build three new warehouses in DeKalb, Fulton and Henry counties, bringing about 1,000 new jobs to metro Atlanta.
The new facilities are part of a larger plan Home Depot unveiled in 2017 to invest $1.2 billion to expand its distribution network by adding 150 warehouses nationally, enough to provide same-day or next-day delivery to 90% of the country. Georgia is a hub for the company’s Southeast supply chain operations and national delivery strategy.
“We’re proud to employ more than 27,000 associates in our home state,” said Stephanie Smith, Home Depot’s senior vice president of supply chain development and delivery.
“The diverse workforce, cost of living, and location make [Georgia] the perfect place to continue to grow our business. We look forward to welcoming another 1,000 new associates in the Atlanta area who want to build a career with The Home Depot.”
“As The Home Depot continues to grow, I want to thank the entire company for not only making long-term investments in their home state, but also continuing to support our local communities through their various outreach programs,” Kemp added.
The new Home Depot warehouse in Henry County will be a 657,600-square-foot structure in Locust Grove.
The company is currently looking to fill 600 job openings for the new facility. Interested jobseekers should visit careers.homedepot.com for more information or text JOBS to 52270 for a link to apply to local positions.
In 2021, Home Depot will open a new 615,000-square-foot “flatbed delivery center” in the DeKalb County community of Stonecrest.
The company also will open a 650,000-square-foot order fulfillment center in the city of East Point in Fulton County.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development was represented by the Global Commerce Division’s logistics projects team in crafting the deal, in partnership with the Henry County Development Authority, the cities of Locust Grove and Stonecrest, Decide DeKalb, the City of East Point, Fulton County, and Georgia Power Co.
“I’m very grateful to all of our economic development partners who helped see each of these projects through,” Georgia Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson said. “We especially appreciate The Home Depot’s partnership and continued investments in their home state.”
ATLANTA – Georgians reluctant to patronize bars during the coronavirus pandemic will be able to have adult beverages delivered to their homes under legislation Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law Monday.
House Bill 879, which cleared the General Assembly in June during the final week of this year’s legislative session, will let restaurants, supermarkets and liquor stores make home deliveries of beer, wine and distilled spirits in Georgia, subject to the approval of local voters. The bill also allows alcohol retailers to provide to-go services.
“This new law represents the balance of safe, convenient delivery while maintaining the rights for local governments to decide what is best for their community,” said Martin Smith, executive director of the Georgia Beer Wholesalers Association. “We want to thank Governor Kemp and the Georgia legislature for setting a high standard for the safe delivery of alcohol in our state.”
Throughout the debate on the bill, which was introduced by state Rep. Brett Harrell, R-Snellville, supporters argued legalizing home delivery of alcoholic beverages was particularly timely in the midst of a global pandemic that forced Georgians to shelter in their homes and, even after shelter-in-place orders were lifted, left many wary of venturing out to bars or restaurants.
“Without leaving their homes, Georgians can now safely purchase products from their favorite locally licensed retailers,” said KC Honeyman, executive director of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of Georgia. “We are extremely excited for the opportunity that has been created for our local retailer partners to tap into the home delivery market supported by Georgia’s family-owned wholesalers.”
Harrell’s bill also broadens the so-called “Sunday brunch bill” the General Assembly passed two years ago allowing restaurants, hotels and wineries to serve alcohol on premises starting at 11 a.m. on Sundays. The new law allows sales of liquor by grocery stores for off-premises consumption as well.
House Bill 879 also expands the current state law allowing tastings of limited amounts of beer, wine and spirits from just wineries and distilleries to package stores.
When given the chance, Georgians have not hesitated to support easing traditional restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages. After the General Assembly passed legislation in 2011 legalizing Sunday sales of alcohol, voters in communities large and small across the state ratified Sunday sales by large margins.
U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler speaks at the State Capitol after qualifying for the 2020 election on March 2, 2020. (Photo by Beau Evans)
U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s campaign has brought on a former field director for Gov. Brian Kemp to run her on-the-ground voter outreach operations ahead of the Nov. 3 special election.
Chris Allen, who ran then-gubernatorial candidate Kemp’s outreach in 2018, has been tapped as Loeffler’s state field director in charge of voter mobilization efforts, her campaign announced Monday.
Allen also managed state Rep. Kevin Tanner’s campaign for the 9th Congressional District seat that he lost in the Republican primary in June.
Loeffler, R-Ga., is looking to fend off challengers from all sides as she campaigns to keep her Senate seat, to which she was appointed by Kemp in December to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga.
The race has drawn 20 candidates seeking to unseat Loeffler, an Atlanta businesswoman and wife of Jeff Sprecher, CEO of Intercontinental Exchange Inc., which owns the New York Stock Exchange.
U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, R-Gainesville, whom Kemp passed over for the Senate appointment in favor of Loeffler, is aiming to shore up conservative grassroots support ahead of the election. His campaign has polled neck-and-neck with Loeffler’s in recent polls.
On the Democratic side, Rev. Raphael Warnock is pushing to distinguish himself on issues from his Republican counterparts as he collects a stream of endorsements from prominent Democratic groups and leaders.
Warnock, the senior pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, is facing fellow Democrat Matt Lieberman, the son of former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who polled higher than Warnock in a Monmouth University poll released last week.
The Nov. 3 special election is a free-for-all contest involving candidates from all parties on the same ballot. A runoff will be held in January if no candidate gains more than 50% of votes.
