LAURENS COUNTY, Ga. — A major retailer is investing millions of dollars into a distribution center in Dublin. 13WMAZ learned what the investment means for Laurens County and how leaders are working to keep other local businesses.
The holiday season might be over, but Best Buy delivered a special investment to Laurens County.
"Anytime we have an existing industry that is expanding, investing into the community, that is phenomenal," President of the Dublin-Laurens Development Authority Ryan Waldrep said.
The electronic retail giant is investing $19 million into its distribution center. A spokesperson for Best Buy says the money will be used for technology to ship packages quickly in the southeast.
"Their primary business here in Laurens County is distributing to the Best Buy stores," Waldrep said.
The investment will also allow Best Buy to be more environmentally friendly, they also are pledging to avoid cutting positions.
"Bring in goods and services through Savannah and other ports throughout the United States, bring those into Dublin, and being able to deliver those quickly and efficiently," Waldrep said.
This news comes after companies like Fred's and Valmiera Glass laid off at least 100 employees in 2019. A problem Waldrep acknowledges and is hoping to fix.
"We are working with our existing industry, making sure that that they have the services that they need, if they have an opportunity that they need to explore, how can we bring a valuable service to them, to help make that expansion, to make that investment easier for them to make," Waldrep said.
He added the development authority is working with the county to strengthen their workforce and economy. Best Buy sent 13WMAZ a statement you can find below:
"We have a long history in Dublin and our team plays a very important role in delivering the latest and greatest technology to the homes of customers and keeping our stores across the Southeast stocked,” said Rob Bass, Best Buy’s Chief Supply Chain Officer. “We are excited to invest in technology that will help us serve our customers more efficiently as online shopping continues to grow.”
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