STONECREST,

OPEN FOR GLOBAL COMMERCE

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On August 4, 2020 the success of Economic Development in Stonecrest, Georgia was further solidified. On that day Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that Georgiabased The Home Depot will build a total of three new warehousing facilities in DeKalb, Fulton, and Henry Counties. This expansion project will deliver approximately 1,000 jobs to greater metro Atlanta. The Home Depot facility (in DeKalb County) will become the cornerstone of one of Stonecrest’s two industrial sectors and will be the anchor of the newly proposed Stonecrest Business Park. Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary stated, “This will be the first phase of our strategic economic development plan as we build a gateway to the world through Savannah.” According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, “In 2017 The Home Depot announced a plan to invest $1.2 billion in its supply chain to expand its distribution network with approximately 150 new facilities nationally. This investment will expand the company’s current same-day and next-day delivery options to 90% of the US population. Georgia is a hub for the company’s Southeast supply chain operations and its national delivery strategy.”

♦ BUSINESS ATTRACTION

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This level of business attraction rarely occurs in a city that has only chartered three years ago. The Home Depot development will significantly grow the tax base and increase employment opportunities. “The upside of having a company with the stature of The HomeDepot in Stonecrest is incredible,” says Clarence Boone, Stonecrest Sr. Director of Economic Development. “Stonecrest now have an affiliation with the 26th largest US company as ranked among the Fortune 1000. The Home Depot is also the 62nd largest company on the Forbes global list of companies. “ There are additional benefits that Stonecrest knows will be realized by an affiliation through this opportunity. The Home Depot company's name recognition will give Stonecrest the ability to attract other high-profile companies furthering opportunities for growth and expansion. We can leverage the location to other target markets. Stonecrest may also be able attract Home Depot suppliers who may require a location closer to the logistics facility. The city can also connect to global supply chains that support The Home Depot.

♦ TRANSPORTATION ACCESS

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Of the attributes that attracted Stonecrest to The Home Depot was our access to rail and a direct point of ingress to the Ports of Savannah, Georgia. With true accessibility via CSX rail, Stonecrest provides increased import and export abilities across the Globe. The Port of Savannah is the largest single container terminal in the United States. In FY2018 it handled 4.2 million TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) in throughput. FY2018 had the highest volume in the Port of Savannah’s history.

Another attribute is the proximity of the Interstate highway system. The Home Depot Warehouse will be located approximately three miles from Interstate 20 on the newly improved Lithonia Industrial Boulevard. The thoroughfare was specifically enhanced to accommodate logistical and distribution opportunities.

Additionally, the facility is located 23 miles from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which has the designation of being the world’s most traveled airport.

♦ WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

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The company will open the new 615,000-square-foot “flatbed delivery center” in 2021 and will rely on advanced technology to operate the facility. In addition to rail access to the warehouse, trains will enter the facility from a spur specifically designed for the facility. These rail cars will be unloaded by robotic technology. Because of the technology involved there can be a need for more skilled logistical employees to perform the necessary operations for the company.

From an employment perspective there will be approximately 33 contracting firms needed to build the facility and they will hire approximately 600 workers to complete the project. It is projected that 40% of the $65 million allocated will be budgeted for the workforce.

A projection of 900 indirect jobs is expected to be either created or affected during the building of the facility. Upon completion, The Home Depot will employ 77 employees.

In preparation for this growth in Industrial opportunities for the City, we have established a robust relationship with the Georgia Piedmont Technical College to provide training and develop a workforce that is ready to contribute from the first day of employment.

♦ THE ECONOMIC IMPACT DURING CONSTRUCTION

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For this project there will be 33 contractors including the general contractor. This will translate to approximately 550 - 600 different people working on the site over the construction period. At the peak of construction we expect 150- 200 employees per day on site.

For these types of projects, we see the labor portion in the 40% range of labor to material. To that end we expect roughly 16 million dollars will be budgeted for worker’s compensation. As restaurants, shopping, and hospitality have been the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic, this positive impact will be an immense benefit to those business communities.

Stonecrest, Georgia is home of operations for such internationally recognized companies as Dart Container Corp., Trojan Battery, The Home Chef Company, Kliklok-Woodman (a division of Rockwell Automation), International Paper Co., Cintas Corp., Georgia-Pacific Chemicals, Marshalls Distribution Center Company, and Hanson Aggregates.