Ocala CEP Announces Dollar Tree to Build Massive DC in Ocala Metro

OCALA, Fla., January 13, 2020 (Newswire.com) - The Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP) joined the Marion County Board of County Commissioners in announcing today that Dollar Tree, a leading operator of discount variety stores, will establish a distribution facility in the Ocala Metro. This facility will service Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores throughout Florida and parts of the Southeast.

“We are pleased to be working with the CEP, Marion County, and the State of Florida on this new development,” said Gary Philbin, Dollar Tree’s Chief Executive Officer. “Florida is an important state to us, as we provide millions of customers with convenient and value-driven shopping experiences in our Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores. We anticipate the facility will greatly enhance our supply chain efficiencies by reducing outbound transportation costs to our stores, all while creating hundreds of new jobs for the people of Florida.”

The facility will be built in two phases: Phase I will begin immediately and will result in the construction of a 500,000 sq. ft. facility, which will employ 200. Phase II will follow with up to 1.2 million sq. ft. and another 500 jobs. The total project is anticipated to result in a capital investment in excess of $200 million.

“We sincerely appreciate Dollar Tree’s investment in Marion County,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “In addition to creating hundreds of jobs, their new distribution center will play an important role in Central Florida’s growing logistics sector.”

Dollar Tree, a Chesapeake, VA-based Fortune 200 company, has more than
15,000 stores across the U.S. and Canada. The Ocala facility will be located on nearly 200 acres of land in the new Florida Crossroads Commence Park. This 1,000-acre mega site was one of the first recipients of a Florida Job Growth Grant to help fund infrastructure for the park.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome Dollar Tree to Marion
County,” said Commissioner Kathy Bryant, Chair of the Marion County Board of County Commissioners. “We appreciate all of the collaborative efforts of the many entities to see this project through to fruition. Not only will the initial 200 jobs positively change the economic climate of Marion Oaks and surrounding areas, but over time, an additional 500 projected jobs would drastically change the face of southwest Marion County, drawing potential new residents and new businesses for decades to come.”

This announcement represents a partnership between Dollar Tree, Marion
County, CareerSource CLM, SECO, Enterprise Florida, and the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership.

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The Ocala CEP is the one-stop hub for the metro’s business attraction, creation, and retention efforts. The CEP’s mission is to be the catalyst for a prosperous community. Over the last seven years, the Moving Forward plan has impacted the announced the creation of 7,500 new jobs with wages 16% above the metro average and resulting in a capital investment of nearly $900 million.

Source: Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership