The world’s largest retailer announced Thursday it is building a new fulfillment center in a small North Georgia city, a project that will more than double its population during the workday.
Walmart selected Carnesville, a city of 852 residents near the South Carolina border, for its new $1.3 billion facility, which will employ 1,000 workers when up and running, according to a news release. The 1.5-million-square-foot project in Franklin County will join an industrial park off I-85 and bolster the Arkansas-based retail giant’s logistics operation.
“As customer expectations continue to evolve, investments like our new fulfillment center in Carnesville help us deliver the speed, convenience, and reliability customers count on,” Karisa Sprague, Walmart’s top supply chain executive in the U.S., said in the release.
The announcement was celebrated by Gov. Brian Kemp, who touted how Walmart’s facility will allow residents in Carnesville and the surrounding area “to work close to home rather than commuting to a larger city of work.”
“Every Georgian should have opportunity, no matter their ZIP code,” Kemp, who is in Peru on an economic development mission, said in the news release. “Walmart is helping us deliver on that promise.”
Walmart, which ranks second on Fortune 500’s list of the top public companies by revenue, has a large presence in Georgia. It operates 209 Walmart stores and Sam’s Clubs alongside 11 supply chain facilities. Those projects dot the state and create the company’s core shipping network, mirroring similar supply chain setups by Amazon and other e-commerce giants.
Walmart employs more than 65,300 workers in Georgia and spent more than $26.2 billion with Georgia suppliers in 2025’s fiscal year, according to the news release.
“We are excited to become part of the Carnesville community with plans for our sixth next-generation fulfillment center, creating new jobs and opportunities for the region,” Walmart told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a statement. “This new facility will provide associates with the advanced technology and tools needed to deliver millions of items to customers faster and more reliably.
The Carnesville facility will be at the Franklin 85 Logistics Center and is expected to begin construction later this year. Walmart said it will expand “same-day and next-day shipping capabilities.”
“Walmart’s decision to build and grow here is a testament to the strength of this community and the opportunities that exist beyond Georgia’s major metropolitan areas,” Pat Wilson, Georgia’s top economic development official and a Franklin County native, said in the news release.
A spokesperson for his agency said state incentive negotiations with Walmart remain active. The company will also qualify for worker training through Georgia Quick Start.
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