LANCASTER, TX - We at ANUK are watching the competition tighten before our very eyes, as the industry’s biggest players from across the supply chain are investing their time and energy into technological advancement. Walmart is one name that continues to surface, and this time the retailer is planning to build two new automated facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area: a fulfillment center and a grocery distribution center.
“Walmart is excited to welcome two new high-tech facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to our expanding supply chain network,” said Joe Metzger Executive Vice President, Supply Chain Operations at Walmart U.S. “These high-tech facilities will include game-changing innovations that are radically disrupting the supply chain, getting products onto store shelves and items shipped to our customers even faster, while saving time for our associates.”
The fulfillment center will stand at 1,500,000 square feet and is set to open in 2023, while the automated grocery distribution center will sit at 730,000 square feet and is set to open in 2024. They will be among Walmart’s largest automated fulfillment and distribution centers and will create approximately 1,000 full-time jobs across the region. According to a press release, 40 percent of the new jobs created will require STEM skills to support technical positions.
“We are making a significant investment in this region because of the inclusive, diverse, and qualified pipeline of local talent that reflect Walmart’s values,” said Karissa Sprague, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Human Resources at Walmart U.S. “Our investment in technologies and high-tech facilities today pave the way for jobs of the future that are supported by automation and will allow opportunities for an upskilled workforce.”
Through the combination of Walmart associates and automation technology, the high-tech facilities are expected to move more than two times the volume of a traditional fulfillment and grocery distribution center, all while improving the accuracy, quality, and speed of the fulfillment and distribution of products.
This most recent news comes just months after Walmart announced plans to add automation in more than half of its regional distribution centers and automated market fulfillment centers in select stores. The retailer has also made investments in drones and autonomous vehicles to support last mile deliveries.
Who will be next to make a tech-forward powerplay? You can bet that ANUK will report as soon as they do.
