FORSYTH, Ga. — Opening a new distribution center requires manpower. For the new Five Below center in Monroe County, there are hundreds of positions to go around.
General Manager Eric Kooy says the number one priority for new worker training is safety. "Make sure the team knows what's expected from them in safety and what their role is in keeping themselves and the people they work with safe.
After the general safety training, there is personalized training according to position.
"It goes to the specialty job functions of the position, so it's a very general training to very specific on how to operate a piece of equipment or process and individual carton," says Kooy.
Different positions take different skills, but three things are required across the board -- being able to lift at least 50 pounds, the ability to stand and lift, and working in cold temperatures in winter and hot temperatures in the summer.
Joann White and Kenyatta Johnson have worked in distribution centers for over 15 years combined. They say they're used to those demands.
"Stand for long periods of time, work through varying temperatures, and good benefits, good pay, a distribution center is the best place to get a job," says Joann White.
The state is also helping. Kooy says they plan to use the Quick Start program, which offers training specifically designed for warehouses and distribution centers so workers can hit the ground running.
Five Below will continue to post job openings over the next few months. To apply, visit their website here.