Dollar General opens new distribution center in Arkansas
Dollar General recently celebrated its North Little Rock, Ark., distribution center grand opening with employees, their families and local and state elected officials. The festivities also included a donation to the Arkansas Food Bank to help fight food insecurity and extend the company’s mission of Serving Others.
“We are excited to celebrate the grand opening of our first Arkansas distribution center in North Little Rock, together with our team and their families,” said Rod West, Dollar General’s executive vice president of global supply chain.
West added, “This facility looks to better support our store teams and customers by combining the functionalities of our traditional, DG Fresh and Private Fleet distribution channels. We are honored and humbled by our partnership among federal, state and local officials, as well as local nonprofit organizations that continue to support our investment and continued service in the Natural State.”
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The facility supports the distribution of the company’s traditional supply chain, its DG Fresh network that provides perishable products to stores and the DG Private Fleet. The building is approximately 1 million square feet, represents an approximate $160 million investment in Pulaski County and is expected to create approximately 300 new jobs at full capacity.
“Fifty years after the first Dollar General opened in Arkansas, we are proud to welcome their first-ever distribution center in the Natural State,” said Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders. “Central Arkansas is where America’s road, river, and rail come together, and with my administration’s investments in education and workforce training, companies from across the country and world are deciding to put down roots.”
The company also provided a $20,000 donation to the Arkansas Food Bank as part of the festivities to help address food insecurity and nourish neighbors in need. In total, Dollar General stores and the North Little Rock distribution center have donated the equivalent of more than 300,000 meals, or approximately 400,000 pounds of food, to the Arkansas Food Bank.
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Dollar General opened its first store in Arkansas 50 years ago in 1975 and currently employs more than 5,700 Arkansans through its and store and distribution center presence.