Retail giant selects Mountain state

     (AAPNW-WV) –  “I am proud to welcome Macy’s new fulfillment center to our state,” said Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. “This is a tremendous investment in West Virginia and its committed work force. I commend the West Virginia Development Office, Berkeley County Commission and Berkeley County Development Authority for working in partnership to make this achievement possible.”

     When fully operational, the new 1.3 million-square-foot fulfillment center in Martinsburg is expected to create 1,200 full and part-time jobs and 700 temporary seasonal jobs, as well as support the retail giant’s growing online business.

     “We would like to thank state and local officials in West Virginia, led by Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, for their support and assistance through our site selection process,” said Terry J. Lundgren, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Macy’s, Inc. “Our Internet sales continue to grow rapidly as part of the omnichannel strategy at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. The new Martinsburg fulfillment center will represent a significant expansion of our online capacity, and will be used in particular to prepare and ship orders to macys.com customers in Northeast and Middle Atlantic states. This center will include the very latest material handling equipment and warehouse management systems so we can fill orders quickly and efficiently.”

     The final site will be located within easy access of I-81 and construction is scheduled to begin in spring 2011, with beginning operations in April 2012 and will start shipping orders in summer 2012. Macy’s online orders are currently processed at their fulfillment centers in Tennessee and Arizona, while Bloomingdale’s online orders at its fulfillment center in Connecticut.

   Additionally, Governor Tomblin said, “I would like to recognize Senator Joe Manchin, Senator Jay Rockefeller and Representative Shelley Moore Capito for their ongoing commitment to make West Virginia a great location for business.” Macy’s operates the macys.com and bloomingdales.com websites and about 850 department stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico under the names of Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s.