Macy’s, Inc. Selects Rowan County for New Fulfillment Center

The retail leader will invest $584.3 million and create nearly 2,800 jobs in China Grove

CHINA GROVE, N.C. – North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper announced today that Macy’s, Inc., an iconic brand and retail industry leader, will locate a new e-commerce fulfillment center in Rowan County. The new facility represents an investment of $584.3 million and will create nearly 2,800 jobs. Macy’s, Inc. is partnering with The Silverman Group of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, to construct a 1.4 million-square-foot facility in China Grove, located at the intersection of Interstate 85 (Exit 68) and Highway 152.

“We are excited to expand our supply chain into the great state of North Carolina and become a member of the China Grove community, as we continue to build and invest in our omnichannel retail ecosystem,” said Jodi Buhrman, vice president of process and engineering at Macy’s, Inc. “This new state-of-the-art facility will further enable us to serve our valued customers with added speed and efficiency and position us for long-term success as a leading omnichannel retailer. We look forward to bringing new, well-paying jobs and opportunities to the China Grove community when this new fulfillment center opens in 2024.”

Macy’s, Inc. operates one of retail’s largest e-commerce businesses integrated with a nationwide footprint of stores and fulfillment centers to deliver the most convenient and seamless shopping experiences. It’s a trusted source for a wide variety of quality brands at great values for generations of customers. Macy’s, Inc,’s expansion of digital shopping and modernizing its supply chain will positively impact Rowan County.

“This is a historic day for the Town of China Grove and we would like to welcome Macy’s, Inc. to come grow with us,” said China Grove Mayor Charles Seaford. “Like China Grove, Macy’s, Inc. is an original. Through teamwork and partnership, we can both thrive and become stronger together.”

“We couldn’t be more honored and excited to welcome an iconic company like Macy’s, Inc. into Rowan County, and we look forward to supporting them in their continued growth in the years to come,” said Rowan County Commission Chairman Greg Edds. “We’re especially proud that this is the largest job creation announcement in our county history. The future of Rowan County has never been brighter.”

Macy’s Inc. comprises three retail brands: Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. In total, Macy’s Inc. operates more than 600 stores across the country, while also adding to its now-booming e-commerce success.

“We are delighted to welcome Macy’s, Inc. and its state-of-the-art facility to North Carolina,” said Governor Cooper. “When you combine our robust transportation network with our skilled workforce and great quality of life, economic development wins like these will continue to be celebrated statewide.”

To support Macy’s, Inc.’s digital omnichannel strategy, the China Grove Fulfillment Center will account for nearly 30% of Macy’s, Inc.’s digital supply chain capacity once fully operational. The fulfillment center will have some manual processes while including full automation for receiving, prep, put-away, picking and packing functions that will allow Macy’s, Inc. to improve delivery times for customers.

Rowan EDC President Rod Crider praised Macy’s, Inc.’s reputation and expressed his gratitude for their expansion. “Macy’s, Inc.’s expansion into Rowan County is a culmination of the hard work to improve our economic competitiveness by our partners across the county. To bring one of the most well-recognized brands in the country to Rowan County is a tremendous honor and we’ve enjoyed getting to work closely with their team the past few months. The Rowan EDC looks forward to a continued partnership as we welcome Macy’s, Inc. into Rowan. With more than 10 million square feet of industrial space under development along the I-85 corridor, this project win is a sign that Rowan has arrived on the national scene and that there are more big things to come.”

The Rowan County Board of Commissioners endorsed the project by awarding the company an Economic Development Investment Grant, a performance-based incentive requiring the company to meet predetermined employment goals before incentives are paid, worth an estimated $27.2 million over 15 years. The Town of China Grove also supported the project with a performance-based Economic Development Investment Grant worth an estimated $22.4 million over 15 years.

The state of North Carolina also supported the project with a Job Development Investment Grant with an estimated value of $2.3 million, along with a substantial commitment in customized training dollars through the NC Community College System. The North Carolina Department of Transportation will also provide funding for road improvements along Highway 152.

Scott Shelton, vice president of the Rowan EDC, provided project management leadership during the months-long process to gain Macy’s, Inc.’s investment in Rowan County. “Securing Macy’s Inc.’s investment for China Grove and Rowan County was a true team effort,” Shelton said. “We want to thank the China Grove Town Council, the Rowan County Board of Commissioners, KMK Consulting, Senator Carl Ford, Representative Harry Warren, Avison Young, the Silverman Group, the NC Department of Commerce, the Economic Development Partnership of NC, the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, the NC Department of Transportation, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, the Centralina Workforce Development Board, NCWorks, Duke Energy, Dominion Energy, and Salisbury-Rowan Utilities for their assistance. We are excited to celebrate Macy’s, Inc.’s continued growth nationwide and the location of this new facility that will bring thousands of additional good jobs to our community.”

Analysis from JobsEQ showed that adding Macy’s, Inc. into the community would also add more than 600 indirect and induced jobs, more than $75 million in sales and over $30 million in compensation. Those totals are created by companies supplying goods or services to a new company, as well as revenues created by new employees spending at local restaurants, stores and elsewhere in the community.

A formal groundbreaking ceremony will be held at a later date.