The Home Depot has completed the development of three distribution centers totaling 1.5 million square feet at Tradepoint Atlantic, the Sparrows Point shipping, logistics and commerce center being revitalized with federal and state dollars.
The Atlanta-based home improvement retailer previously announced a deal with Tradepoint Atlantic in 2019 as part of a push to speed delivery to its customers and stores. The company’s expansion plans have been in development since 2017, said Kyle Dennis, Home Depot’s vice president of supply chain distribution. He said the new centers will add 500 new jobs, full time and part time, to the Baltimore County hub, many of which already have been filled.
“The location is really good and can service the needs of the Washington and Baltimore markets effectively, and has a great diversity of workforce and talent,” Dennis said in an interview. “The pandemic has confirmed we made the right decision with the investment in delivery.”
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The three buildings will specialize in next-day deliveries. A national network of 150 such facilities are part of Home Depot’s delivery expansion, which aims to provide next-day services to 90% of the U.S. population, said Stephanie Smith, senior vice president of supply chain.
“We’re focused on creating an easier and more convenient shopping experience for our customers’ home improvement needs, whether they shop in stores or online,” Smith said in a statement.
The first of the three buildings opened in February 2020 and provides oversized and bulk flatbed delivery services to job sites. The second is a delivery location that sends appliances to customers in the Baltimore area, according to the release.
The newest addition is an 812,000-square-foot fulfillment center for online orders that has a broader range of products than what might be available on store shelves. The Home Depot now operates five distribution centers across Maryland, servicing 42 stores.
The company joins Amazon, FedEx and Under Armour in Tradepoint Atlantic, the 3,300-acre logistics center on a peninsula in southeastern Baltimore County that housed the massive Bethlehem Steel mill until its closure in 2012. Up to 17,000 jobs could help revive the former steel plant into a global distribution, port and trade center.
Tradepoint has built 8 million square feet of facilities for distribution, warehousing and industrial needs, and is planning for an additional 7 million to 8 million square feet of development.
It maintained progress in its rebuilding process despite the coronavirus pandemic, the developer’s senior vice president of corporate affairs said last summer. More than 20 companies are now tenants there, and plans for retail and dining options, hotels, grocery stores and full-service restaurants are underway.
Hiring at The Home Depot centers is ongoing for warehouse and driver roles. Interested job seekers can go to careers.homedepot.com to apply, or text JOBS to 52270.